The heartbeat of the Colorado Avalanche is back. Gabriel Landeskog will return from a lower-body injury today when the Avalanche visit the Washington Capitals, delivering a significant boost to a Colorado squad already surging atop the Central Division. Landeskog, who had been listed week-to-week, re-enters the lineup with 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 47 games this season. Since returning from the 2026 Winter Olympics with Team Sweden, the 33-year-old captain has been particularly sharp, recording seven points (two goals, five assists) in six games. Landeskog speaks to the media on December 2. His most recent appearance came March 6, when he logged 22:54 of ice time and picked up an assist in a dramatic 5-4 shootout win over the Dallas Stars. Since then, Colorado has been forced to navigate without its emotional leader — a role that extends far beyond the stat sheet. A LONG ROAD BACK — AGAIN Landeskog’s presence carries even greater weight considering the road he’s traveled. He missed three full regular seasons from 2022–25 due to chronic issues with his right knee, undergoing multiple surgeries, including a cartilage transplant on May 10, 2023. In total, he was sidelined for 1,032 days — a staggering stretch between hoisting the Stanley Cup in Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final on June 26, 2022 and returning in Game 3 of the 2025 Western Conference First Round on April 23, 2025. Earlier this year, another setback arose. On Jan. 4, Landeskog suffered an upper-body injury but recovered in time to represent Sweden on the Olympic stage. He contributed four points (two goals, two assists) in five games before Sweden fell to Team USA in the quarterfinals. AVALANCHE NEARING FULL STRENGTH Now, he rejoins a Colorado team that continues to battle through injuries up front. Artturi Lehkonen, Ross Colton, and Logan O’Connor were all on the ice prior to Friday’s 4-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks — a victory that officially clinched Colorado a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Lehkonen (upper body), who has 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 59 games, has been out since March 2 after exiting early against the Los Angeles Kings. Colton (upper body), who has 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 60 games, was injured on March 10 versus the Edmonton Oilers. O’Connor, meanwhile, has yet to appear this season as he continues to recover from offseason hip surgery. The Avalanche’s current road trip — which continues in Pittsburgh on Tuesday and Winnipeg on Thursday — could serve as a turning point in getting the roster back to full strength. "They're all on the road with us because they all have a chance to be back at some point," coach Jared Bednar said Friday. "This is one of our biggest road trips of the year. We could see guys as early as Sunday, some guys maybe not until later in the road trip. The goal would be to try to get them all in before we head home." At 45-13-10, Colorado sits first in the Central Division, holding a three-point edge over the Dallas Stars — and with their captain back in the fold, they’re only getting stronger at exactly the right time. The Avalanche takes on the Capitals at Capitol One Arena. Coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. ET. Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/cd96350d-d7c9-4a59-8d33-88991674fbe7.jpeg]
