19 Comments
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Gary T's avatar

They blew the LTIR opportunity, a chance to upgrade the team, and still get him back for the playoffs. Color this anyway you want, and the Avs management has been the star of the NHL, they botched this good, there are no excuses that will change this. Medical and training staff, sure, Gabe, maybe some, but this lands on the shoulders of Joe and Chris.

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Glen G's avatar

I think the biggest issue is the mismanagement of LTIR. Prior to the trade deadline, Landeskog did not appear close at all to make it back by now. The team really could have used a scorer for the 2nd line and another depth defenseman. The lack of depth may hurt more than the loss of Landeskog.

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Anna Roberts's avatar

Exactly what I thought, the comparison to Peter Forsberg and his injuries are to similar to Landy. Will this be a career ending injury? CMACK and Sakic needs to answer questions on why they didn't have answers, when I know they did. Why they basically did nothing at the trade deadline. They pushed this off till now. Will the Avs have a new Captain in the upcoming season. Very disappointing how Avs Management handled everything.

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Matthew Benedetti's avatar

This felt like the probable outcome way back when the first planned timeline expired with very little relevant info to update it. Its absolutely fine for someone to not know a timeline, but the fact that one was given (first half of the year) and then another after a cleanup procedure (March) and then hedged further (no regular season), each and every time the timeline slipped felt less and less likely any good news was every going to come forward.

I can understand that mistrust if there was differing opinions on how to proceed, or what the planned recovery and progression would be, but its not like the Avs haven't historically done right by Gabe, dude still has $42 Million coming to him over the next 6 years, whether or not he ever skates again.

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Erik J.'s avatar

This is a huge blow on the chances to repeat. If we have all of our dmen healthy, Georgie playing stellar, ERod, Eller and Newhook showing up...we still have a chance.

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Fred's avatar

Go get the scoop AD, I really don't know why they didn't put Landy on LTIR to get someone at the deadline, it is very puzzling...

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Glen Hostetler's avatar

I sincerely wonder if the front office took a calculated risk and put too much stock in what the Avs training staff/doctors were saying. I’m guessing this is a ligament issue, not ACL, and the initial fix was to get to a “good enough”. When that didn’t work second surgery. My concern is that they determine they have to do a full reconstruction and he’s gone next year too. I also think that Toews getting long Covid/immune disease torpedoed their backup plan and no other options were worth the cost. At that point the decision was to try and get better around the edges without sacrificing next season, hoping he’ll be back. My questions would be for the Avs medical staff and what they told Landeskog the choices of action could be.

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Logan's avatar

A lot of questions ought to be answered regarding what occurred to Landeskog. Granted I think it’s fair to assume things happened to where it just didn’t go according to plan. But what’s frustrating about the whole thing was it was a timeline here, there and there, then it became no update no idea then this. I’m curious what exactly happened and also please tell me this isn’t career threatening and just a mere serious injury that needed more time than thought.

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Gary M's avatar

What puzzles me is he skated around Ball arena holding up the cup at the beginning of the season. Why the secrecy? I figure 2 possibilities.

1. The docs that worked on his knee screwed up

2. He reinjured the knee in a non-hockey-related incident.

Of course it could be bad luck and a natural progression of things that didn’t go well and could be a knee he skated on during the cup run that wasn’t totally right that he thought could be made better, but went the wrong direction.

Of course his teammates know that he would not be playing soon, despite maybe some holding out with positive attitude/wishful thinking. These guys are friends and text each other. I’m sure Bedsy has been in the loop as well.

Sad. That’s what it is. Sad. For Landy, his teammates, the fans . . . Just sad.

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Dirk's avatar

The Avs inactivity around the LTIR cap space is one thing - I still think we didn’t have much in assets to give up and this year wouldn’t have been the right moment for a big splash. These upcoming playoffs will most likely show how futile the trading spree out East really was.

Landy’s knee and the secrecy/ poor information around it is another issue altogether. I still don’t get why they called the surgery in October unrelated to the surgery he had in March ‘22. Why have surgery in October anyway when he could have gone under the knife right after the season?

Either way this strongly smells of an athlete who was already playing on borrowed time last spring. The comparisons to Forsberg are eerie as well....another Swede’s career severely impacted by physical wear and tear. Yikes.

For the Avs, in the short term, it may not be as big of a loss since they have been playing with our Landy all year long. Long term, it looks more dire I think. Will he comeback from this? Will the Avs be forced to look for a long term replacement?

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Robyn schnetzler's avatar

This feels permanent.

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Thomas Clemens's avatar

Wow!! I hope Landy can come back next year. It' s going to be tough slogging without him. He's what the Avalanche need most!!!! I can't see it happening without him but hey for a guy that thinks he's right about hockey all the time, I hope I am wrong, LOL!!! And a shame the Avalanche can't try and repeat with him in the lineup because th eye are so damn good. As the dude would say "that's a bummer, man"!!! GO AVS!!!!

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Free Speech Czar Elect Kragok's avatar

I suspected that this would happen. Oofta. Just get him healthy for next year.

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Aaron Rud's avatar

Uff da is right.

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Bob Ferguson's avatar

Hope he’s okay in the end. Puts Coach B in a bind heading into the postseason.

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Gary M's avatar

3rd version. If the injuries stop, Newhook overcomes his Jostness, Eller turns into playoff Eller and Malgin outsnipes Burky, we’ll be all right!

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Gary M's avatar

Alternate comment. Chin up boys - we’ll be fine!

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