Latest news with #Landeskog
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gabriel Landeskog's Clear Message Amid Avalanche Offseason
Gabriel Landeskog's Clear Message Amid Avalanche Offseason originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The story of Colorado Avalanche star forward Gabriel Landeskog is an inspiring one. After being away from the NHL ice for nearly three years due to a serious injury, Landeskog finally returned to action in Game 3 of the Avs' first-round series against the Dallas Stars in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. Advertisement Although the Avalanche ultimately failed to advance to the second round after losing to Dallas in seven games, Landeskog's return was a notably positive takeaway from Colorado's 2024-25 season. Before the final screening of the TV miniseries "A Clean Sheet: Gabe Landeskog," which is based on Landeskog's journey while dealing with his injury, the Swedish pro opened up about what he's been up to since the Avalanche's elimination at the hands of Dallas. 'I've been back in the gym, back on the ice, and I'm feeling good,' Landeskog said, per Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette. Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) looks on during the third period against the Miron-Imagn Images Selected second overall in the 2011 NHL draft by the Avalanche, Landeskog immediately proved to Colorado that he was the real deal, as he scored 22 goals and recorded 30 assists for 52 points in 82 games during his rookie campaign in the league. Advertisement His performance in that season was enough to earn him the 2011-12 Calder Trophy award. He reached what can be considered the pinnacle of his time with the Avalanche in 2022 when Colorado won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001. Landeskog, who has a cap hit of $7 million each season until the end of the 2028-29 campaign, has 248 goals and 323 assists in 738 regular-season games in his career with Colorado. Related: Avalanche's Coach Denies Gabriel Landeskog Rumors: 'No Truth to That' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Walking Wounded: NHL Stars Hit The Ground Running After Long Injuries
Matthew Tkachuk (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images) When we think of NHL players returning from injury just in time to help their team in the playoffs, we usually think of Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov or Mark Stone. Those three players seem to evoke the most wrath from rival fan bases after their teams discovered new ways of pumping up their playoff rosters by leveraging long-term injured reserve to unprecedented levels. Though he is still dealing with chronic issues, Stone only missed two games after Christmas this year. His 66 games played were the most for him since the year he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, 2018-19. And Vegas was pretty healthy this year. William Karlsson missed two months, but he was back by late March, just before Shea Theodore returned from the arm injury he suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Elsewhere, though, other teams got some big boosts from less-familiar faces in Round 1. Here's a look at some of the most impactful injury returns: Gabriel Landeskog, LW, Colorado Avalanche His team didn't advance, but Landeskog's return after three grueling years of surgeries and rehab was the feel-good story of the first round. Best of all, the Colorado Avalanche captain played just like he always has, with an aggressive jolt of energy. Landeskog averaged a solid 17:13 of ice time after his Game 3 return. He finished with four points and a plus-four over five games. Matthew Tkachuk, LW, Florida Panthers A groin injury at the 4 Nations tournament ended Tkachuk's regular season at 52 games. But the super-pest returned with a bang in Game 1, setting the tone for the Panthers with three power-play points on the way to a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning – in Tampa, no less. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Starting Round 2, Tkachuk saw a playoff-high 19:06 of ice time in Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's now up to six points in six games. As for Matthew's brother, Brady Tkachuk, his playoffs are over, but he collected seven points against the Leafs while battling a hip issue that had nagged him since 4 Nations and an upper-body problem that cost him eight games near the end of the year. NHL Playoff Predictions 2025: Which East Teams Will Win Round 2? Expect A Leafs And Panthers Game 7 NHL Playoff Predictions 2025: Which East Teams Will Win Round 2? Expect A Leafs And Panthers Game 7 The second round of the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs starts Monday, so it's time to predict them. Evander Kane, John Klingberg, Trent Frederic, Edmonton Oilers After missing the entire regular season while he got a laundry list of ailments addressed, Kane added another threat to the Edmonton offense when he returned in Game 2 of the first round. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It didn't take long for him to get his feet under him. He chipped in a goal and an assist to help the Oilers get their first win of the series in Game 3, added another in Game 5, and delivered the pass that set up the game-winner from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in Game 1 of the second round against Vegas. If Kane's return has been welcome, John Klingberg's early contributions have been downright surprising. His 2023-24 season lasted barely a month before he was shut down for hip surgery, and when he signed with Edmonton in January, he managed just 11 regular-season games. But Klingberg also joined the Oilers' series against the Kings in Game 2 and instantly formed an airtight shut-down defense pairing with Jake Walman. Then there's Trent Frederic, essentially acquired on spec from the Boston Bruins at the deadline while he was out with a lower-body issue. The big 27-year-old only logged 7:10 of ice time in one game with the Oilers before the end of the regular season. But he was ready for Game 1 and has brought a dose of bottom-six grit that the Oilers didn't have elsewhere in their lineup. Tyler Seguin, C, Dallas Stars Still no Miro Heiskanen for the Stars, but Jason Robertson could return from a Game 82 knee injury for Game 1 against Winnipeg on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Meanwhile, Tyler Seguin has been chipping in, even though his body has been through some things over the last few years. After essentially duct-taping himself together to get to the Stanley Cup final in the 2020 bubble, Seguin missed almost the entire 2020-21 season following hip surgery. This year, he went under the knife for a hip issue again in December, but he looked like he hadn't missed a beat when he put up an assist in his return for the last game of the regular season. In Round 1, Seguin averaged 14:55 a game and chipped in four points, including the overtime-winner in Game 3. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gabriel Landeskog's Blunt Take on Mikko Rantanen's Historic Game 7
The Colorado Avalanche held a 2-0 lead early in the third period of Game 7 on Saturday before conceding four unanswered goals to the Dallas Stars and ending their postseason run in a 4-2 loss. Mikko Rantanen, a former Avalanche forward traded earlier this season, scored three times in the final frame to send Dallas into the second round and eliminate his former team. Advertisement In doing so, Rantanen became the first player in NHL history to score a hat trick in the third period of a Game 7, as well as the first ever to have a 4-point period in back-to-back games. Gabriel Landeskog had a blunt take on Rantanen's feat when asked about his historic performance following the Avs' elimination from the playoffs. 'I couldn't care less who scored for them,' Landeskog said. 'I really couldn't. 'I've told you, Mikko's one of my best friends, and I love him, but I couldn't care whether he scored or somebody else.' Rantanen, who won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022, was traded in January after contract talks with the Avalanche broke down. He was first moved to Carolina, then flipped to Dallas, where he signed an eight-year, $96 million deal. Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) before a game against the Dallas Stars at Ball Chenoy-Imagn Images Landeskog called the loss tough and pointed to a turning point midway through the period. Advertisement 'Thought we had a great start to the (third) period, even when they scored one,' Landeskog said. 'I thought we came back down and created some good looks and stayed on the gas, earned a power play, Cale [Makar] breaks his stick on a one-timer right from the slot they go down, all of a sudden, they get a power play out of it. So, all of a sudden, it's a tie. 'The margin for error in the playoffs is really small. I mean that's how small it is so. I think we still pushed back and it's a tied hockey game and then they get a power play again.' Dallas will face either the Winnipeg Jets or the St. Louis Blues in the second round, with Game 7 between both franchises taking place on Sunday. Related: Nathan MacKinnon's 'Shocking' Message After Stars Eliminate Avalanche Related: Stars' Mikko Rantanen Reveals Truth Behind Avalanche Exit
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Avalanche React to NHL's Big Gabriel Landeskog Announcement
The Colorado Avalanche are locked in a heated Stanley Cup playoff battle with the Dallas Stars, and they're just one win away from avenging their second-round playoff defeat to their Central Division rivals last postseason. And while Avalanche fans are hyper-focused on Saturday's Game 7, they did have a small reason to celebrate on Friday. Advertisement The NHL announced that team captain and star forward Gabriel Landeskog was one of three finalists along with Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sean Monahan for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is given annually 'to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.' Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) celebrates his goal in the second period against the Dallas Stars at Ball Chenoy-Imagn Images The finalists were the three highest vote-getters from nominations submitted by the local chapters of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA). The nomination is big news for Landeskog, who's tallied a goal and four points in four games this postseason after missing the entire 2023 and 2024 regular seasons following cartilage transplant surgery. Advertisement After getting their captain back from his two-year absence, the Avalanche celebrated Landeskog's Masterton nomination with a strong four-word post on social media. 'O Captain! Our Captain!' the Avalanche wrote on X. The five playoff games Landeskog has played this year is his first NHL action in over 1,000 days. He missed the 2022 season after having arthroscopic knee surgery following the 2022 Stanley Cup. Landeskog was only supposed to miss 12 weeks but he ended up being sidelined for the entire year. From 2013 to 2021, Landeskog was one of Colorado's top offensive players. He had two 30-goal seasons and seven 50-point seasons during that span, and he recorded three straight postseasons with double-digit points, including an 11-goal performance during the 2021-22 postseason. Advertisement Related: Matthew Tkachuk Fires Warning Shot Ahead of Panthers-Maple Leafs Series Related: Matthew Tkachuk's Cold-Blooded Message After Panthers End Lightning's Season
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NHL's Masterton Memorial Trophy finalists named — will Marc-André Fleury retire with a win?
Marc-André Fleury of the Minnesota Wild, Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche and Sean Monahan of the Columbus Blue Jackets were announced on Friday as finalists for the NHL's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the player who 'best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game.' Advertisement The popular Fleury was celebrated throughout his 22nd and final season. Despite ranking second all-time in the NHL in victories, he continued to mentor the Wild's Filip Gustavsson as his backup. He received multiple send-offs on the road — from emotional ones in Pittsburgh, where he began and spent the bulk of his career, and in Montreal, near his hometown, but also in spots such as Chicago, where he played not even a full season. The showering of adulation Fleury received on his way out of the NHL also included testimonials to the respect he garnered from former teammates, fans and even longtime rivals. Alex Ovechkin, who faced Fleury in four playoff series, made sure his Washington teammates saluted Fleury after the Capitals' last game against the Wild. Landeskog did not play in a game for the third consecutive regular season. He underwent four surgeries to an injured right knee, including cartilage replacement in May 2023. It's a procedure from which no NHL player had ever returned — until Landeskog did during the first round of the playoffs. However, the Masterton, like all NHL Awards, is based on the regular season. Landeskog, Colorado's longtime captain, continued to fill that role off the ice while rehabbing his knee for a potential return. His dedication to the Avalanche and the grueling process of rebuilding his injured knee served as inspiration in Colorado and to injured players throughout hockey. Monahan signed with the Blue Jackets for one reason — to play with his best friend, Johnny Gaudreau. But the death of Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, last August shocked the hockey community. Monahan, following the direction of Gaudreau's widow during his eulogy, approached the season with energy and purpose. A 12-year veteran, Monahan's 19 goals and 57 points in 54 games fueled one of the NHL's most productive lines and sparked an unforgettable season in Columbus, as the Blue Jackets surprisingly remained in playoff contention until the season's final days. Advertisement The Masterton Trophy honors the late Bill Masterton, the only NHL player to die from an on-ice injury. It is the only award voted on by the entirety of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association; every team has a player nominated by that team's PHWA chapter. The NHL unveiled finalists for three other NHL awards on Friday: Selke (best defensive forward), Jack Adams (coach of the year) and Lady Byng (sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct). Earlier this week, the league revealed finalists for the Vezina (top goaltender), Norris (best defenseman) and Hart (league MVP) trophies, along with the Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player). (Photo of Marc-André Fleury: Stephen R. Sylvanie / Imagn Images)
