Avalanche's Gabriel Landeskog exits the ice after a painful collision with the Panthers' net
Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog was assisted off the ice after sustaining a lower-body injury during a game against the Florida Panthers on Sunday. The incident occurred early in the second period when Landeskog was engaged in a fierce battle for a loose puck in the Panthers' zone. His left knee buckled, causing him to crash into the net and remain on the ice for several minutes. Teammate Nathan MacKinnon and the team trainer provided assistance, helping him off the ice.
Despite the injury, Landeskog managed to finish the game with one shot and two penalty minutes in 5:58 of ice time. This season, he has accumulated seven goals and 15 assists, contributing 22 points and 25 penalty minutes in 41 games. His recent performance has been impressive, with seven goals and 11 assists in the last 25 contests, showcasing his adaptability to the game's pace.
Over his career, Landeskog has been a consistent performer, amassing 255 goals and 338 assists for 593 points and 626 penalty minutes in 779 regular-season games. He has also excelled in the Stanley Cup playoffs, with 28 goals and 43 assists, totaling 71 points in 74 playoff games. His journey back to the NHL began last April after a lengthy absence, during which he missed the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, as well as the first half of the 2024-25 season.
Landeskog's last appearance before his recent return was during the Stanley Cup celebration in 2022, following the Avalanche's victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. That spring, he contributed 11 goals and 11 assists, totaling 22 points in 20 playoff games. However, his journey has not been without setbacks. After winning the Cup in 2022, he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, which forced him to miss the entire 2022-23 season, including the playoffs. In May 2023, the team announced another procedure, a cartilage transplant, which would keep him out for the entire 2023-24 regular season.
Selected as the second overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Landeskog had a remarkable rookie season, scoring 22 goals and 30 assists for 52 points, and was awarded the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year.
