Jared Bednar “concerned” about Gabriel Landeskog’s return timeline as Avs eye 2023 Stanley Cup Playoff series
Gabriel Landeskog has missed too many games of the 2022-23 season following his knee surgery back in 2022 and is still unsure about his return timeline.
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Jared Bednar [Image Credit: NHL.com]
Gabriel Landeskog played an immense role in leading the Colorado Avalanche to victory in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Even back then, he was suffering from a knee injury and seldom missed practice to play only during peak times. His hard work paid off as the team dethroned the defending champions Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Avs captain underwent knee surgery in October which is reportedly unrelated to his March surgery. According to coach Jared Bednar, Landeskog is still not cleared of the medical condition, stating he needs further evaluation.
As the team nears the 2023 Stanley Cup playoff game, the defending champions will eye to hold onto the Cup one more time. On Wednesday Bednar said, “And am I a little bit concerned? Yeah”.
“I mean, he hasn’t played all year. Do I think that he can easily come out of this and be fine? Yeah, I mean, he’s putting in the work. So, only time will tell. You just don’t know.”
Gabriel Landeskog unsure of return in 2022-23 regular-season
In 738 NHL career games, Gabriel Landeskog has recorded 571 points with 248 goals and 323 assists. He led Avs with a plus-15 rating while missing 23 games. He decided to go for the March surgery as he thought it would be best to fix himself prior to the playoffs.
The 30-year-old had a career-low of 51 regular-season games and was often absent from morning drills. Jared Bednar said, “Yeah, it was just bothering him though, so he got it fixed”. “Yeah, good timing to get it fixed. He didn’t want it bothering him through playoffs. So, when he had that surgery, he was like, ‘I can fix this.'”
The Avs coach further said that the team is trying to hold onto the Stanley Cup this year too, and Gabriel Landeskog will undoubtedly be an irreplaceable player for them. “He’s missed a long time; I don’t know”.
“It’s a slow-moving process for him, so we’ve just got to take it day by day. And he continues to do the work to push to try to get back and help our team,” Bednar said. On Wednesday, Landeskog was seen skating on ice for 50 minutes. He’s been back in Denver in mid-February and is going through rehabilitation and practice ever since.
The Avs are currently 5 points behind Minnesota Wild for the 2nd place. They are 3rd in the Central Division with 35-22-6 points. This season Cale Makar also went into IR after sustaining a concussion twice during the game. Not only Makar, but many of Avs’ players have been to IR this season, but the team has pulled through during difficult times.
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