(Reuters) – Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will have a cartilage transplant in his right knee this week and is expected to miss a second consecutive National Hockey League season (NHL), the team announced on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old Swedish forward, who already sat out the entire 2022-23 regular season and playoffs after arthroscopic knee surgery last October, will undergo the latest procedure on Wednesday in Chicago.
Landeskog also had knee surgery in March 2022 but returned for the postseason and played an instrumental role as Colorado went on to win the Stanley Cup, which was the last time he was on the ice in a gametime situation.
“It’s a long time away from the game, but I’m confident in the player I am. I’m confident in the athlete that I am,” Landeskog told reporters during a video call.
“And I know that I can get myself ready, and I know, with the right guidance and with the right people around me, I’m confident that I’ll get back out there and make a big impact on the ice.”
The injury stems back to a playoff game in September 2020 when Landeskog was cut by a team mate’s skate which led to him having a minor procedure.
Landeskog was selected by Colorado with the second overall pick of the 2011 NHL Draft and has recorded 571 points in 738 games. He also won a silver medal with Sweden at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Toby Davis)
