Avalanche Star Gabriel Landeskog To Miss 2023-24 Season Post Knee Surgery

Gabriel Landeskog, the captain and forward for the Colorado Avalanche, will undergo another treatment on his right knee after missing the all of current season due to knee surgery, and the organization expects him to miss the entire 2023–24 regular season.

Landeskog’s right knee will have a cartilage transplant on Wednesday at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, under the direction of Dr. Brian Cole.

Avalanche Star Gabriel Landeskog To Miss 2023-24 Season Post-Knee Surgery

The Avalanche revealed in October 2022 that Landeskog missed training camp and underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The Avalanche star was expected to be out for around 12 weeks following his original injury, but he never played a single game in 2022–23.

After having knee surgery on the same knee in March 2022, Landeskog lost time during the conclusion of the regular season in 2021–22. The Colorado star did, however, return for the team’s Stanley Cup run and finished that run with 20 points (11 goals, 9 assists) in 20 games. Before undergoing his first knee surgery, Landeskog had also amassed 59 points (30 goals, 29 assists) in 51 regular-season games in 2021–2022.

Landeskog and the team are hoping that this more drastic approach will help him recover from the knee ailment that has kept him out of action. At age 19, he was named the captain of Colorado, and he has captained them for 807 regular-season and postseason games. His contract with the organization runs until the 2028–29 campaign.

In a recent interview, Landeskog said that his knee problem dates back to the playoff game versus Dallas in the 2020 spring season, when he was struck by a skate. He said that the cartilage on the underside of his patella was damaged.

“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.”

A relatively recent medical strategy used to help replace damaged cartilage in the region is a knee cartilage transplant. It occurs when healthy cartilage from another place is utilized to repair the injured 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 transplanted cartilage may take up to two years to fully grow, according to OrthoTexas. An 85–90% success rate was found in recent studies performed 10–15 years following the operation.

It is anticipated that the transplanted cartilage will remain functional for the remainder of one’s life after it has fully healed.

“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.”

FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE- 

Cowboys Invite Elon QB Matthew McKay For Participating In Rookie Minicamp