The Colorado Avalanche need Gabriel landeskog on the ice if they want to win another Stanley Cup anytime soon. The captain brings a skillset and a presence that the burgundy and blue feed off of, and his presence has been dearly missed over the past three years.
For anyone questioning if he can still play like his old self after missing three years on the ice and undergoing multiple surgeries, his efforts in the playoffs showed that he’s still got the juice. He scored an electrifying goal, tallied three more assists, and was a +4 on the ice in five games. He also played 17 minutes per game, and didn’t show any signs that the knee was holding him back anymore.
With a full offseason of recovery and normal training under his belt, Landeskog is reportedly a “full go” heading into the season. He got his first crack on the ice in one of the Avalanche’s split squad preseason games against the Utah Mammoth on Sunday, and showed that the Avalanche need him out on the ice for more than just his production.
They need them as their leader. There’s a reason why he wears the “C” on his chest and didn’t give it up during his three-year absence.
After Cale Makar took a high hit, Gabe Landeskog came in and dropped the mitts.
The Captain is BACK💥 pic.twitter.com/Jh9x0iMlzB
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) September 22, 2025
Star defenseman Cale Makar took an elbow to the chin from young winger Sam Lipkin, a hit that some would call dirty — especially in a preseason game. Just seconds later, Landeskog was at center ice with his gloves off, ready to teach him a lesson. Fifteen seconds later, Landeskog was skating away while the refs were helping Lipkin up off the ice.
After the game, Landeskog explained his reasoning for dropping the gloves.
“You see one of your players go down, and in this case, honestly, it doesn’t matter if it’s our best player or not, somebody’s got to do something.”
His jaw is going to be hurting just as bad as Makar’s for a few days. It was clear that Lipkin, 22, doesn’t have a lot of experience fighting grown men in NHL games. Landeskog is probably the best person to quickly gain experience from, even if he’s on the receiving end.
The Avalanche also went on to win the contest 5-1, the first of two against the Mammoth in Denver on the day. Landeskog finished with an assist and was a +2 on the ice.
For anyone who is new to Avalanche hockey and hasn’t gotten to see the captain showcase his leadership on the ice, he’s always been the first one to drop the gloves and defend his teammates. The importance of his return from injury is about not just about him tipping pucks in around the net, it’s about how the team rallies around him as a leader when he’s out there.
