Avalanche Assign Gabriel Landeskog To AHL On Conditioning Stint
Apr. 11th: According to a team announcement, Landeskog has officially entered the Eagles’ lineup for tonight’s contest. It will be his first professional hockey game since June 26, 2022.
Apr. 9th: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog could finally be in line to play his first professional hockey in three years. The team announced they’ve loaned him to AHL Colorado on an LTIR conditioning loan that will likely last the remainder of the regular season.
The playoff-bound Eagles have five games remaining on their regular-season schedule. Landeskog can play in three of them as part of his conditioning assignment before Colorado must recall him to the NHL roster and decide whether to activate him from long-term injured reserve. They have a back-to-back against the Henderson Silver Knights on Friday and Saturday, either of which could mark Landeskog’s return to game action for the first time since hoisting the Stanley Cup on June 26, 2022. He’ll practice with the Eagles today before the organization decides whether he’ll actually suit up, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
If he can get through a couple of games without incident, Landeskog could make his return to the NHL when they kick off their first-round playoff series, either against the Jets or Stars, in a week and a half. The 32-year-old has ramped up his participation in practice over the last couple of months since undergoing a cartilage transplant in his right knee in May 2023, the latest of multiple surgeries to address lingering side effects from a skate cut to his leg in the 2020 bubble.
Head coach Jared Bednar hinted at the possibility of a conditioning stint in the AHL for Landeskog, who’s never seen a minor-league assignment since being selected second overall by the Avs in the 2011 draft, on Monday. If he suits up for the Eagles, it will mark his first league action for a non-Avalanche team since he appeared for Sweden’s Djurgårdens IF in the 2012 lockout.
Expectations will still be reserved for the nine-time 20-goal scorer. Regardless of the on-ice impact he has, managing to continue his NHL career at all after missing so much time is one of the more remarkable accomplishments in recent league history. Announced as the Avs’ Masterton Trophy nominee today for understandable reasons, he’s likely a shoo-in for the honor if he’s able to lace up the skates in the postseason.
In a best-case scenario, Landeskog will add even more forward depth to a Colorado roster retooled on the fly by general manager Chris MacFarland this season. Out is star winger Mikko Rantanen, but their depth lines have improved dramatically, with Charlie Coyle, Jack Drury, Martin Nečas, and Brock Nelson now in the mix.
Image courtesy of Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports.
Avalanche Recall Wyatt Aamodt, Jack Ahcan, Jere Innala
The Avalanche announced today they’ve recalled defensemen Wyatt Aamodt and Jack Ahcan, along with forward Jere Innala from AHL Colorado. The trio will presumably get into game action for the Avs’ season-ending back-to-back this weekend to allow some lineup fixtures extra rest ahead of the postseason.
Colorado is already without a laundry list of lineup fixtures for their final two games, namely superstar pivot Nathan MacKinnon. He’s dealing with a minor injury that wouldn’t hold him out of playoff action, but he’s expected to sit for both contests after missing last night’s game against the Canucks. Carrying more serious injury designations up front are Ross Colton (undisclosed) and Jonathan Drouin (lower body), both of whom are day-to-day and probable for their Game 1 lineup in over a week. On the back end, Ryan Lindgren and Josh Manson are unavailable with upper-body injuries.
On top of those absences, today’s recalls indicate they’ll allow multiple other players to rest. It would be Aamodt’s NHL debut if he plays. Colorado signed the 27-year-old as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State in 2022, playing exclusively with their AHL club since. While he was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, he signed a two-year extension at the trade deadline. The lefty is amid a spectacular two-way season with the Eagles, posting 3-13–16 in 66 games while posting a league-leading +35 rating. The Minnesota native has 12-36–48 with 131 PIMs and a +48 rating in 181 career AHL games over the last four years.
Ahcan hasn’t seen NHL ice since suiting up nine times with the Bruins in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Now 27, the 5’9″ lefty is set to be a UFA this summer upon completing the two-year, two-way deal he signed with the Avs in 2023. The 2017 World Juniors gold medalist with Team USA has a career-high 5-36–41 scoring line in 67 games with the Eagles this year.
Innala is the most familiar of the trio. The 27-year-old Finn is in his first season in North America, signing an entry-level deal with the Avs last summer following a standout playoff performance with Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League. He made 15 NHL appearances for Colorado earlier this season, going without a point and logging a minus-three rating while averaging just 6:55 per game. He hasn’t made an appearance for the Avs since January. The 5’9″ left-winger has been a decent complementary scorer in the minors, logging 16-11–27 in 42 games.
Avalanche Notes: MacKinnon, Lindgren, Girard, Coyle
The Avalanche will be giving franchise center Nathan MacKinnon some rest as the postseason nears. He’s dealing with a minor injury and may not play again in the regular season, Corey Masisak of the Denver Post was first to report. Head coach Jared Bednar confirmed MacKinnon won’t play tonight against the Canucks and called him doubtful for their other two remaining contests (via Masisak).
That will mean extended rest for MacKinnon ahead of the first round. Colorado is the first team in the league to end their regular season schedule, playing Game 82 on Sunday. They’ll have at minimum six days of rest before Game 1 of their first playoff series.
It’s virtually confirmed that MacKinnon will be ready to go when the postseason starts, and today’s absence is more precautionary. Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now wrote, “It sounds like he’d be playing if the Avs were still fighting for something to close out the regular season.”
If that’s the case, MacKinnon ends his season with 32-84–116 in 79 games, along with a +25 rating. On a goals-per-game basis, it’s his worst showing in eight years, and his 1.47 points per game are his lowest since the 2021-22 season. That doesn’t mean much in a season where high-end scoring has regressed heavily. MacKinnon still enters game action tonight leading the league in assists and points, and could very well capture his second straight Hart Trophy in a few weeks’ time.
Unfortunately, there’s a more legitimate upper-body injury holding defenseman Ryan Lindgren out of tonight’s game, Bednar told Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports. The 27-year-old complementary defender, acquired from the Rangers in March, had gone without a point in his last eight games and has 2-1–3 in 18 contests since the swap, averaging 19 minutes per game with a minus-one rating. His second-pairing role will be filled by Samuel Girard, who Bednar confirmed returns tonight after a four-game absence due to an undisclosed injury (via Deen).
Also playing is pivot Charlie Coyle, who was banged up while recording two assists in Tuesday’s shootout win over the Golden Knights. That’s important with MacKinnon out to reduce the load increase on names like Jack Drury and Brock Nelson down the middle. Coyle has 1-7–8 in 16 games since being acquired from the Bruins for Casey Mittelstadt at the trade deadline.
Colorado Avalanche Recall Chris Wagner
- The Colorado Avalanche have recalled forward Chris Wagner from the AHL, per a team announcement. Wagner, 33, has produced one goal and 51 hits in 24 games for the Avs this season. He has added 19 goals and 31 points in the AHL this season. A veteran of 397-career NHL games, Wagner is in the lineup tonight against the Golden Knights, skating on the fourth line with Jack Drury and Parker Kelly.
Avalanche Don't Rule Out AHL Conditioning Stint For Gabriel Landeskog
- Dipping out of prospect news, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar didn’t rule out a possible AHL conditioning stint for captain Gabriel Landeskog when asked about it by Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette. Instead, Bednar succinctly replied “we’ll see”. Landeskog is back to taking full contact at practice – a substantial milestone as he looks to return to game action after missing the entirety of the last two seasons with a right-knee injury. He’ll be eligible for a conditioning stint of three AHL games thanks to his placement on long-term injured reserve. The Avalanche will need to make a decision quickly, as the AHL Colorado Eagles only have five games remaining in their regular season. Any AHL action would be the first of Landeskog’s professional career. He joined the Avalanche immediately after his second-overall selection in the 2011 NHL Draft, and planted his feet with 22 goals and 52 points in his rookie season.
Avalanche Notes: Landeskog, Kempf, Mandolese
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has been ramping up his skating in recent weeks as he attempts to get ready to attempt a comeback in the playoffs. He’ll begin the next phase this weekend, as Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette reports (Twitter link) that the winger will skate with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles today and then practice with the Avs on Monday. Landeskog hasn’t played since the 2022 playoffs when he helped lead Colorado to the Stanley Cup with continued knee trouble. With the team using Landeskog’s LTIR space to make additions at the trade deadline (including Brock Nelson and Ryan Lindgren), the 32-year-old can’t return for the stretch run but it looks as if there’s a chance he could be available to them for the playoffs.
More from Colorado:
- The Eagles announced the signing of defenseman Hank Kempf to a two-year contract beginning next season plus an ATO to finish up this year. The Avalanche acquired the 22-year-old from the Rangers in late February as part of the Lindgren trade and he recently wrapped up his college career at Cornell where he had seven points in 36 games this season. This contract means that the Avs intend to let Kempf’s NHL rights lapse, technically making him an unrestricted free agent in mid-August but they’ll keep him in the organization for now with this deal.
- Kevin Mandolese’s stint with the big club was short-lived. The Avalanche returned him to the Eagles, relays Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports (Twitter link). He was recalled on Wednesday, serving as the backup on Thursday with Mackenzie Blackwood not in uniform for that game. The 24-year-old has played in 17 games with the Eagles this season, putting up a 2.86 GAA along with a .905 SV% and has just three career NHL appearances under his belt, all coming with Ottawa during the 2022-23 campaign.
Avalanche Recall Kevin Mandolese
The Colorado Avalanche have recalled goaltender Kevin Mandolese ahead of their upcoming three-game road trip. This is Mandolese’s second recall of the season, after previously spending four days on the NHL roster in November.
It seems clear that Mandolese’s call-up is solely for depth. He has served as Colorado’s AHL backup this season, setting a 10-6-0 record and .905 save percentage in 17 appearances. But Mandolese has begun splitting the role with Adam Scheel, who has a 10-2-2 record and .904 save percentage in the AHL this season, including three shutouts. The 25-year-old Scheel is one year older than Mandolese, and will now step into the full AHL backup role while Mandolese supports the Avalanche.
This recall could give Mandolese a chance to play in his first NHL game since the 2022-23 campaign, when he managed a .916 Sv% in three games with the Ottawa Senators. Those have been the only NHL games of his career to this point. He’s also tallied a career .898 Sv% in 83 games and five seasons in the AHL, and a .921 in 15 games in the ECHL. The Avalanche are expected to start backup Scott Wedgewood on Wednesday, per team play-by-play announcer Conor McGahey. It is Wedgewood’s second consecutive start. He was backed up by usual starter Mackenzie Blackwood on Monday, but Mandolese’s presence could give Colorado a chance to give Blackwood a break from the lineup. Blackwood has started in all but 10 of Colorado’s 37 games since the start of 2025.
Joel Kiviranta Returns, Josh Manson Remains Out
The Colorado Avalanche will have one injured member back for their road trip through the Midwest, but no more. Forward Joel Kiviranta has fully recovered from his lower-body injury and will return for the road trip, but defenseman Josh Manson will stay in Denver due to an upper-body injury, according to Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette.
Kiviranta has missed Colorado’s last three games, with the team managing a 1-1-1 record in his absence. Despite being in his second year with the organization, he’s offered extraordinary flexibility to the Avalanche’s forward core this season. Kiviranta has demonstrated the ability to play up and down the lineup, putting up a career-high 16 goals in 72 games this season while averaging 12:30 of ice time per game.
Avalanche Sign Taylor Makar To Entry-Level Deal
The Avalanche announced they’ve signed forward Taylor Makar to a one-year entry-level contract for the 2025-26 campaign. The younger brother of Colorado superstar Cale Makar will finish the season on a tryout with AHL Colorado. His contract carries a cap hit of $925K and breaks down to an $832.5K base salary, a $92.5K signing bonus, and an $80K minors salary, per PuckPedia.
Colorado selected the Makar in question with their seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft. The 6’4″, 209-lb forward was coming off an injury-plagued junior ‘A’ season with the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League at the time, but he was solid when dressed with 19 points in 16 games. The Bandits, of course, are where Cale played his junior hockey before Colorado selected him fourth overall in 2017.
Like his older brother, Taylor committed to UMass and jumped to the collegiate ranks after being drafted. The grinder never found much of a role on the squad, though, and recorded 15-7–22 in 85 games before entering the transfer portal following his junior season. After landing with the University of Maine for his senior year, the 24-year-old managed to outproduce his totals with UMass in just 38 games. He finished second on the No. 3 team in the country in scoring, posting 18-12–30 in 38 appearances with a +24 rating. Maine’s season ended last Friday after they were upset by Penn State in the regional semifinals of the national tournament.
Makar is a long shot to crack the NHL roster next year, given the weakness of his collegiate resume as a whole, but his senior year breakout is promising as he looks to capture a significant AHL role. He’ll be a restricted free agent in 2026. Colorado now has 30 players under contract for next season.
Joel Kiviranta Misses Game With Lower-Body Injury
Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno returned to the lineup last night, dressing for the first time in almost two weeks (as per Michael Russo of The Athletic). The 33-year-old missed five games due to an upper-body injury but suited up against Washington and was +1 in 18:10 of play. The veteran winger is having a routine season by his standards, tallying 11 goals and 11 assists in 68 games with 66 PIM and 221 hits.
The Wild are clinging to the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference despite dealing with injuries to some of their top players. The team welcomed defenseman Jonas Brodin back earlier this week, and with Foligno now returning it looks as though Minnesota should get most players back by the beginning of the postseason.
In other Western Conference notes:
- Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta missed last night’s game with a lower-body injury (as per Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports). It’s the first game that Kiviranta has missed this season as he has made 72 appearances while averaging 12:30 of ice time per game. No word yet on how long Kiviranta is expected to be out but there should be an update before the Avalanche take on St. Louis on Saturday afternoon. The 29-year-old has set a career-high this season in goals (16), assists (7) and points (23) and likely won’t have to settle for a one-year deal at league minimum this summer when he re-enters free agency.
- Seattle Kraken forward Chandler Stephenson practiced yesterday in a full-contact jersey but did not play last night against the Edmonton Oilers (as per Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times). Stephenson suffered an upper-body injury back on March 19th in a game against Minnesota and has missed the past two games. Given that he has returned to full contact, it seems likely that the 30-year-old will return to the lineup at some point in the next week. Stephenson signed a massive seven-year contract ($6.25MM AAV) with the Kraken last July, and while the deal was a massive overpay, Stephenson has provided depth offense this season in more of a defensive role, posting 11 goals and 37 assists in 69 games.