'Avalanche Enlist Gabriel Landeskog for Game 2 Against Stars'

The Colorado Avalanche activated forward and captain Gabriel Landeskog from the injured reserve on Monday, in preparation for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars.

Landeskog has been sidelined due to a series of setbacks with his injured right knee, and has not played in an NHL game since winning the Stanley Cup with Colorado on June 26, 2022.

At the morning skate, Avs coach Jared Bednar did not rule out the possibility of Landeskog playing in Monday night's game, stating "We'll see. I haven't decided yet."

There may be a need for Landeskog to play at forward, as Ross Colton left Game 1 with a lower-body injury.

Earlier this month, Landeskog played two games for the Colorado Eagles, the AHL affiliate of the Avalanche, and recorded one goal and one assist during his conditioning stint.

Landeskog has undergone multiple procedures on his right knee, including cartilage transplant surgery in May 2023. While no NHL player has returned from this type of procedure, Lonzo Ball of the NBA's Chicago Bulls had it performed in March 2023 and was able to come back in the 2024-25 season.

Over his 11 seasons with the Avalanche, Landeskog has accumulated 571 points (248 goals, 323 assists) in 738 games.