Avalanche Coach Concerned About Landeskog's Return To Form

The Colorado Avalanche have been without their captain all season and as he should be back at some point this season, there are concerns from head coach Jared Bednar. The Avalanche have lost a ton of man games this season due to injury, so they have understandably regressed from the point they were at last season when they won the Stanley Cup.

Gabriel Landeskog is still recovering from his knee injury and Bednar doesn't know if the captain will be able to return to elite form. Public concern from the head coach doesn't look great for the coming years in Colorado as Landeskog is being paid $7 million AAV for six more seasons and has been a point-per-game player for two of the past four. If his production plummets and he isn't the same player as he has been for a number of years now, that really hurts the chances of the Avalanche at repeating as Cup champs or winning again in coming years.

Landeskog's absence from the lineup has taken its toll as the team is in third in the division and lacking scoring depth. Due to his likely return to the lineup before the playoffs, it prevented the Avalanche from making any moves that would put them over the cap down the line. Injuries have been an issue for the Avalanche captain for a few seasons now and he hasn't played a full season since 2014-15.

Landeskog has had multiple surgeries now and has been working really hard rehabbing. Not only is there a concern that he won't return to his elite form, there's more of a chance he will suffer another major injury as his previous injuries pile up. The Avalanche are hoping none of this comes into play and he returns in peak condition.