CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Watching the practice on Monday morning, I asked myself one thing, “When will it happen?” I think after watching the skate at Family Sports Center, it is a matter of when, not if. How did Gabriel Landeskog look on Monday in practice and when can he be ready? That becomes the big question. It was all positive thoughts as he skated down the ice during practice for the Colorado Avalanche.
Landeskog is just miles ahead of where he was a year ago. #Avs #GoAvsGo @HockeyMtnHighCO pic.twitter.com/oiz98jfnwm
— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 7, 2025
The Captain was a full participant in the practice, filling in for Nathan MacKinnon on the top line between Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen. Landeskog was skating at full speed and setting up passes for Samuel Girard on the run. He did every drill that the rest of the team did, just avoiding contact for obvious reasons. Are we going to see Landeskog in a lineup soon?
When asked about Landeskog potentially playing a game or two for the Eagles, Bednar said “we’ll see.”
I’d be a little leery of putting him into a game with some of the guys running around the AHL, personally.
— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) April 7, 2025
Lines from Monday’s practice
Lehkonen – Landeskog – Nichushkin
Kiviranta – Nelson – Colton
Wood – Coyle – Vesey
Kelly – Drury – O’Connor
Toews – Makar
Lindgren – Malinski
Middleton – Johnson
Girard
Blackwood, Wedgewood
Injury updates
MacKinnon was absent from the practice. There was no reason given, so it assumed that he was taking a maintenance day. Girard was on the ice with the rest of the team for about 25 minutes after skating before the primary group. Josh Manson and Martin Necas both skated with skills coach Toby Peterson in non-contact sweaters.
Per Mehgan Angley of Guerilla Sports, coach Jared Bednar hopes to get all the injured players into the lineup this week.
Jared Bednar hopes Sam Girard, Martin Necas, Josh Manson, and Jonathan Drouin will get in a game this week.
They’re still day-to-day in status.
— Meghan Angley (@megangley) April 7, 2025
What jumped out?
Scott Wedgewood is pushing through something, and it was clear during Monday’s skate. When the rest of the team was at the other end of the ice, I could see him stretching his legs and lower-body. He spoke with trainers on the bench after the rest of the team left, just as he did before Kevin Mandolese’s recall to the Avs. On January 2nd, a collision forced him out of the game against the Buffalo Sabres. Ever since then, Wedgewood has been dealing with something and fighting through it.
If the Avalanche can get most of the injured players back in the lineup again, they will be an unstoppable force. If they get Landeskog back… just watch out.
