Gabriel Landeskog participates in full Avs practice for first time in 995 days

[Avs44]

Do you think he will return? He would be the first ever player to return from a knee operation of the kind he had. Asking for real no sarcasm.

He's certainly going to try barring a massive set back. The team has just released on ongoing docu-series about him so they're hyping him up, and Landeskog hasn't spent 3 years incessantly trying (and going for new surgeries) to return without at least pushing to make it back for one game, IMO. It might end horribly, he might realize after even one game he can't do it, but unless something goes really wrong in one of these practices he'll came back for at least one final game, even if he's just on the fourth line.

We'll see, it's unchartered territory as you note.

 

[Leaf Fans]

I am definitely cheering for him!

 

[Eltuna]

If Colorado has used his cap space and Landeskog is ready for day 1 of the playoffs but not a moment sooner, it’s exactly the same as Tampa/Vegas.

The question isn’t the validity of the injuries. It’s the timing of health coinciding exactly with the moment it no longer becomes a cap concern.

It’ll be the same if Kane is ready day 1 for the Oilers.

All of these teams are circumventing the cap and the league just looks the other way.

It would be more similar to the Oilers activating Klefbom for the playoffs, Avs couldn’t sit on 7M of cap space for three years not knowing if Landeskog would ever play again.

Cases like Landeskog are the entire reason the loophole exists that other teams have exploited in recent years

 

[luiginb]

Comparing this to what Vegas does is short bus behaviour

 

[flyfysher]

Do you think he will return? He would be the first ever player to return from a knee operation of the kind he had. Asking for real no sarcasm.

At this point, absolutely yes. Apparently he is practicing with the team and now on this Canadian road trip. Probably wait until the POs to circumvent the cap. I think it’s unrealistic to think he plays 1st line. More likely 3rd line. Landeskog-Coyle-Colton.

 

[Avs44]

If Colorado has used his cap space and Landeskog is ready for day 1 of the playoffs but not a moment sooner, it’s exactly the same as Tampa/Vegas.

The question isn’t the validity of the injuries. It’s the timing of health coinciding exactly with the moment it no longer becomes a cap concern.

It’ll be the same if Kane is ready day 1 for the Oilers.

All of these teams are circumventing the cap and the league just looks the other way.

Yeah bro, the Avs have totally been planning for this exact coincidental timing for *checks notes* three years following numerous surgeries and setbacks. The Avs are playing four dimensional cap-circumventing chess over here. That's exactly like Mark Stone getting injured just two weeks before last year's trade deadline and returning game 1 after the Knights loaded up.

Also, the Avs can put Wood (chronic back injury, he's kinda cooked) and Manson (injured yet again) on IR tomorrow and fit Landy in for the regular season without issue so your point is doubly moot.

 

[Connor MethDavid]

Makes me happy to see.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Couldn't have just waited 5 more?

 

[JoeSakic13]

Would be pretty incredible if he made a comeback. I can only imagine how much this boosts morale in the room.

Yeah between him and EJ in the locker room I can imagine the morale is gonna amazing.

Now it’s just a matter of having a winning squad along with it.

 

[flyfysher]

If Colorado has used his cap space and Landeskog is ready for day 1 of the playoffs but not a moment sooner, it’s exactly the same as Tampa/Vegas.

The question isn’t the validity of the injuries. It’s the timing of health coinciding exactly with the moment it no longer becomes a cap concern.

It’ll be the same if Kane is ready day 1 for the Oilers.

All of these teams are circumventing the cap and the league just looks the other way.

Well, perhaps you’re correct and the Avs management had prior insight into this from working with Landeskog himself. Even if you’re right though, if the NHL wanted to do something about it then they would. Mind you, I’m not condoning it but for the league, this just supercharges a team for the POs which is to the league’s monetary benefit. But among the Avs forum, many thought just a few weeks ago that he was cooked and Avs fans should put their delusions of him returning to bed and turn our attention to who should wear the C with the changing of the guard. That wasn’t unrealistic given the Avs faithful were hoping for Landeskog’s return last season. I mean, this was the hockey equivalent of Tommy John surgery and he’s Tommy John in this context. The Avs are notorious for being tight lipped though.

 

[Spawn]

It would be more similar to the Oilers activating Klefbom for the playoffs, Avs couldn’t sit on 7M of cap space for three years not knowing if Landeskog would ever play again.

Cases like Landeskog are the entire reason the loophole exists that other teams have exploited in recent years

LTIR is a good thing. It’s a good thing the Avalanche have been able to fill his space while he’s been unhealthy. But once he’s healthy that ability to fill his ~$7M should end and you shouldn’t be able to skirt around that come playoff time.

Very simple solution would be any player that finishes the season on LTIR is ineligible for those playoffs. If a team thinks the player will return come playoff time then they can’t fill his LTIR in season and then dress him come playoff time.

In this instance Landeskogs return would need to be pushed back to the start of next season once the Avs can get cap compliant. Or, 10 days ago when the deadline was here the Avalanche could have prepared for his return and made sure they left enough space open to be able to fit him in on the cap.

It’s great Landeskog looks like he’s getting close to returning to action after it looked like his career might be ending.

They’ll still be BSing the system in the exact same way Vegas and Tampa did in the past if he’s ready the instant the playoffs start but not before.

If the Oilers had done it with Klefbom after he missed multiple seasons from injury but only returned once the playoffs began that would be BS too. It’ll be BS if they do it with Kane this year after he’s missed the entire season.

I’m sick of teams gaming the system to add impact players for the start of the playoffs and wish the league would change it.

It has nothing to do with any of the specific players or any of the specific teams.

 

[Zandar]

Yeah between him and EJ in the locker room I can imagine the morale is gonna amazing.

Now it’s just a matter of having a winning squad along with it.

Being so aggressive at the deadline and also bringing EJ back has to make one wonder if Landy told the Avs he was coming back and it was time to go all in.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Being so aggressive at the deadline and also bringing EJ back has to make one wonder if Landy told the Avs he was coming back and it was time to go all in.
View attachment 994331

Ya i imagine it was one of those, hes back for 1 playoffs and then LTIRetired like Shea Weber. So its basically all-in for the captain.

 

[Spawn]

Yeah bro, the Avs have totally been planning for this exact coincidental timing for *checks notes* three years following numerous surgeries and setbacks. The Avs are playing four dimensional cap-circumventing chess over here. That's exactly like Mark Stone getting injured just two weeks before last year's trade deadline and returning game 1 after the Knights loaded up.

Also, the Avs can put Wood (chronic back injury, he's kinda cooked) and Manson (injured yet again) on IR tomorrow and fit Landy in for the regular season without issue so your point is doubly moot.

And if they put Wood and Manson on LTIR tomorrow and take Landeskog off then I’d be happy. So long as those other two don’t return come playoff time.

My stance is pretty simple. If a player finishes the season on LTIR they shouldn’t be eligible for the playoffs. If a team can’t take them off LTIR and remain cap compliant then that means they were able to find a replacement using that LTIR space.

You shouldn’t be allowed to double dip.

Obviously the league doesn’t care. Hence the Oilers doing this same crap with Kane.

I just think it’s BS lol

 

[rmthomson21]

And if they put Wood and Manson on LTIR tomorrow and take Landeskog off then I’d be happy. So long as those other two don’t return come playoff time.

My stance is pretty simple. If a player finishes the season on LTIR they shouldn’t be eligible for the playoffs. If a team can’t take them off LTIR and remain cap compliant then that means they were able to find a replacement using that LTIR space.

You shouldn’t be allowed to double dip.

Obviously the league doesn’t care. Hence the Oilers doing this same crap with Kane.

I just think it’s BS lol

I know this is the Landeskog thread, but the rules are what they are (i.e., LTIR f***ery is legal).

Every GM not using this to their advantage (in my eyes, this unfortunately includes Sakic/MacFarland) is not giving their best effort to win the cup. Sorry your GM is also a scrub.

Until they change the rules, play the rules.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

LTIR is a good thing. It’s a good thing the Avalanche have been able to fill his space while he’s been unhealthy. But once he’s healthy that ability to fill his ~$7M should end and you shouldn’t be able to skirt around that come playoff time.

Very simple solution would be any player that finishes the season on LTIR is ineligible for those playoffs. If a team thinks the player will return come playoff time then they can’t fill his LTIR in season and then dress him come playoff time.

In this instance Landeskogs return would need to be pushed back to the start of next season once the Avs can get cap compliant. Or, 10 days ago when the deadline was here the Avalanche could have prepared for his return and made sure they left enough space open to be able to fit him in on the cap.

It’s great Landeskog looks like he’s getting close to returning to action after it looked like his career might be ending.

They’ll still be BSing the system in the exact same way Vegas and Tampa did in the past if he’s ready the instant the playoffs start but not before.

If the Oilers had done it with Klefbom after he missed multiple seasons from injury but only returned once the playoffs began that would be BS too. It’ll be BS if they do it with Kane this year after he’s missed the entire season.

I’m sick of teams gaming the system to add impact players for the start of the playoffs and wish the league would change it.

It has nothing to do with any of the specific players or any of the specific teams.

Or the bar for LTIR should just be higher. Landeskog missed 3 seasons, it makes sense for a team to get his full cap relief even if he comes back during the playoffs. Teams really shouldnt get the full AVV cap relief if they were only going to LTIR at the deadline, maybe give them a vet min relief like an emergency call up.

 

[The Shadow]

Liked him all the way from when he played for the Rangers

 

[Z-Diddy]

great leader, great guy, hockey is better with him playing

 

[Spawn]

Or the bar for LTIR should just be higher. Landeskog missed 3 seasons, it makes sense for a team to get his full cap relief even if he comes back during the playoffs. Teams really shouldnt get the full AVV cap relief if they were only going to LTIR at the deadline, maybe give them a vet min relief like an emergency call up.

That doesn't make any sense to me. Once the LTIR space is filled, its filled. Regardless of if the player has been gone for 2 weeks or 3 years. If a team wants to have a player eligible for the playoffs than they should be able to be cap compliant with him off LTIR. Otherwise just make him ineligible. Black and white. No room for grey. No room to double dip.

Again, this is nothing against the Avalanche or Landeskog. I've rallied against this same shit with Tampa and Vegas too.

Maybe this is the wrong thread for it, but someone else brought up the question of it. It's a good thing Landeskog is returning. He was a great player and it's awesome he's getting healthy enough to play again.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

Mark Stone already volunteered to go on LTIR despite not being on their roster.

 

[Toothless Legend]

And if they put Wood and Manson on LTIR tomorrow and take Landeskog off then I’d be happy. So long as those other two don’t return come playoff time.

My stance is pretty simple. If a player finishes the season on LTIR they shouldn’t be eligible for the playoffs. If a team can’t take them off LTIR and remain cap compliant then that means they were able to find a replacement using that LTIR space.

You shouldn’t be allowed to double dip.

Obviously the league doesn’t care. Hence the Oilers doing this same crap with Kane.

I just think it’s BS lol

I think this is a fair position to take. What seems to be ruffling some Avs fans' feathers is that this level of circumvention isn't as flagrant as some of the others. Given the amount of outrage over the past year or two, I suspect the best opportunity to see changes to this will come this offseason. Rumblings from insiders have suggested that most teams don't care as much about this as much as fans do, so I could see some light guardrails put in place to assuage the PR backlash, but it'll still leave some fans disappointed.

 

[Coffee]

@Ben White gotta love it

 

[rmthomson21]

I think this is a fair position to take. What seems to be ruffling some Avs fans' feathers is that this level of circumvention isn't as flagrant as some of the others. Given the amount of outrage over the past year or two, I suspect the best opportunity to see changes to this will come this offseason. Rumblings from insiders have suggested that most teams don't care as much about this as much as fans do, so I could see some light guardrails put in place to assuage the PR backlash, but it'll still leave some fans disappointed.

I mean, it's a fair take as long as we're talking about how we think the rules should change. Tampa brought this exact concern to the owners in 2017 before they took advantage, and nobody gave a shit. If your team doesn't 'cheat' in the ways that are currently allowed, they're not making their best effort to win, simple.

But this is a thread about Landeskog practicing.

 

[Avs2022]

I don't follow Avs, sorry.

No worries. I thought you were being sarcastic so I offered an incredulous reply. All good.

 

[JoeSakic13]

Liked him all the way from when he played for the Rangers

Kitchener Rangers for those out there who are confused.