Report: Avalanche And Gabriel Landeskog Not Close On Extension

The Colorado Avalanche and Gabriel Landeskog are not making progress with extension talks, according to Darren Dreger. This is certainly concerning, as Landeskog has the opportunity to sign with any team of his choosing starting July 28th. Although the Avalanche still have two weeks to get a deal done, the clock is ticking.

There is no denying Landeskog's importance to Colorado, as he has been their captain since his second season in the NHL. In 54 games this regular season, Landeskog scored 20 goals and registered 52 total points. Therefore, he is clearly one of their best offensive players, too. It also will be hard to find a player on the free agency market who can replace his tenacity and strong two-way play.

If he does end up becoming a free agent, he will understandably have a plethora of takers. The Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues all come to mind as potential fits. They all have been noted for wanting to add a top-six winger. Yet, that will just be the tip of the iceberg, as a player of Landeskog's caliber does not hit the market too often. Every team who has cap space should be contacting him.

Thus, the Avalanche will need to work extremely hard to get an extension done. Clearly what they are trying now is not working and it's becoming a bit troublesome.