Landeskog addresses swirling retirement rumors

This just in, the Colorado Avalanche have announced that captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss the ENTIRE 2023-24 season due to a knee injury.

If this sounds like Deja Vu it's because Landeskog missed the entire 2022-23 regular season with the same injury, but was expected to join the team for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Landeskog's condition did not improve though and he was not able to join the team for the post-season. 

Today's news effectively means that Landeskog won't play NHL hockey for two years. Wow...

At this point you have to assume that his NHL career is in jeopardy, if not already over.

If that's the case and Landeskog's career is in fact over, he'll go out a champion. In his last game he managed to hoist the Stanley Cup over his head. Not a bad way to go out if you have to.

Landeskog himself though maintains that he hasn't even thought about retiring.

“I have not contemplated retirement, at all to be honest with you,” Landeskog said to reporters earlier today. And, while I appreciate the competitive spirit in him, I'm not sure he's being completely honest. After a year on the shelf and then staring down another wasted year, you have to imagine that Landeskog has contemplated the end of his career even if he's not open about it.