Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog missed the entirety of the 2022-23 season recovering from knee surgeries. Fans won't see him on the ice for at least another year.
Colorado announced on Tuesday that Landeskog is undergoing a cartilage operation on his right knee. He is expected to miss all of the 2023-24 NHL season.
The surgery will be performed by Dr. Brian Cole at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will undergo a cartilage transplant in his right knee on May 10. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Brian Cole at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The 30-year-old forward is expected to miss the entire 2023-24 season. pic.twitter.com/bM466EpL3G
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 9, 2023
"I've talked to numerous doctors and medical experts, getting opinions, learning about what the different procedures would be," Landeskog said on Tuesday. "This is the one we feel like is the best way forward, the best solution for me to come back and play hockey again."
Losing Landeskog for another season is a big blow to the Avalanche. Colorado struggled this season with secondary scoring, failing to make up for the holes left by Landeskog and other injured forwards throughout the season. The Avs lost in the first round of the 2023 playoff to the Kraken.
Landeskog won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022 when Colorado defeated Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup Final. He has played in 738 career games, all with the Avalanche, recording 248 goals and 571 points.
The Sporting News has more details on Landeskog and the knee cartilage transplant.
NHL MOCK DRAFT 2023: Blackhawks land Connor Bedard in post-lottery mock
What is a knee cartilage transplant?
A knee cartilage transplant is a fairly new tactic in the medical field utilized to help repair worn cartilage in the area. It is when healthy cartilage is taken from somewhere else and used in the damaged area.
According to OrthoNebraska, "knee cartilage transplants are only done in areas where there’s smaller damage, because a graft can only be taken from a small area from the same joint. They are typically performed via a small camera called an arthroscope, meaning the incision will be smaller and recovery quicker and easier than with open surgery."
The procedure is the same one that Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is recovering from. Landeskog mentioned that he talked with Ball about the operation.
How long is the recovery for a knee cartilage transplant?
Recovering from a cartilage transplant operation takes time, which is why the Avalanche have already ruled out Landeskog for next season.
According to OrthoTexas, it can take up to two years for the transplanted cartilage to fully mature. Recent studies have shown an 85-90% success rate 10-15 years after the surgery.
Once the transplanted cartilage is fully healed, it is expected that it will last the rest of a lifetime.
"I'm confident. It's an optimism and confidence that you need to have," Landeskog said. "It's a long time away from the game, but I'm confident in the player I am. I'm confident in the athlete I am. I know I can get myself ready."
Former NHL defenseman Marc Methot said on Twitter that he had the same procedure done on his left knee and was never able to fully recover from the operation.
I had the same surgery performed on my left knee. It’s a brutal rehab process and mine never recovered to a point that made skating at the NHL level possible. However, I do wish him well and hopefully he gets back to playing. https://t.co/DMOm4bjtoT
— Marc Methot (@MarcMethot3) May 9, 2023
Gabriel Landeskog injury timeline
Landeskog has been battling with knee injuries for the better part of the last three seasons. Earlier in the season, there was some clarity given by the Avalanche on the surgeries that the Avs captain had gone through in the last three years.
According to The Athletic's Peter Baugh, Landeskog underwent surgery on his right quad when it was sliced by a skate in the 2020 bubble.
He then underwent right knee surgery in March of 2022 ahead of the playoffs so that he could be at his best for the postseason. He played in a career-low 51 regular-season games, but it was worth it, as Landeskog lifted the Cup with the Avalanche at the conclusion of the 2022 playoffs.
In October of this season, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said that Landeskog had what he would call a minor operation to fix discomfort in his leg.
"He did have a procedure [this season], but it wasn't a major surgery," Bednar said. "He had surgery on that quad, and then last year, obviously, when he missed the time in the spring before we went into the playoffs. But this year, he had discomfort coming back in training. It was bothering, hampering him."
That surgery is what Landeskog was working back from in the 2022-23 season, but he was not getting the needed results in order to return to the ice.
The next, and likely final try for Landeskog to fix his knee is a cartilage transplant.
Gabriel Landeskog age
Landeskog turned 30 years old this past November.
Considering he will miss the entirety of next season, Landeskog will be 31 at the beginning of the 2024-25 season and will turn 32 years old just over a month into that campaign.
Gabriel Landeskog contract
Landeskog just finished up the second year of his eight-year, $56 million contract he signed in the summer of 2021. His deal carries an annual cap hit of $7 million and he will not be a free agent until 2029.
His contract will be put on long-term injured reserve for the 2023-24 season.
