'Heartbreak on the line': Gabriel Landeskog talks comeback, sweep, Makar, Alfredsson

Imagine not playing a full season of professional hockey in three years because your body won’t allow it. 

Then imagine the challenges of stepping back into the arena, unsure if your cartilage transplant would hold up to the rigours of the 82-game grind, plus an Olympic tournament overseas. 

Then imagine captaining your team, the Colorado Avalanche, all the way to Round 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs… only to get swept in devastating fashion.

We recently sat down with Gabriel Landeskog — 2026’s deserving Masterton Trophy winner and easily one of the sport’s most admirable and universally respected athletes — for a candid conversation about his first full year back and a summer of heartbreak and change that has the reigning Presidents’ Trophy champs unsatisfied yet inspired.

Note: This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

Sportsnet: How did your idea of playing a full season after three winters of rehab compare to the reality?

Gabriel Landeskog: I had a very open mind to what it was going to be like. I didn’t really have much expectations other than play my heart out, try to find my game as best as I possibly can. I was trying to be patient about it, understanding that it’s been a long time. You might not feel great. You might not have the touch of the game that you want or you expect because it’s been so long. But you get critical of your game pretty quickly because that is what we do. You want to be great. You want to be as good as you possibly can be and make an impact. And then when you don’t, you get a little frustrated. So, overall, for my knee to feel as good as it did, especially after the first couple months — getting the knee used to the wear and tear of playing and skating just about every other day — it's a huge win. I mean, listen — I don't take anything for granted anymore. I just appreciate it all, and I'm excited about another season, especially feeling this good going into it.

That frustration. How have you learned to cope with it? 

There are definitely people I lean on. I’ve learned over the years that you’re not going to get very far just trying to white-knuckle things on your own. Sometimes it's good to open up and talk to people and find that support. But it’s also finding that balance: when do you pull back? Or when do you push through? Like, there’s some things that you just got to keep working through. If there are details of your game that you’re not loving, then you got to put some work into it. And zooming out and looking at the big picture of what my career has looked like so far, especially the last few years, understanding that and being gracious with myself has been a big part of dealing with the frustration.

The frustration of a great team getting swept in the conference final. Can you even watch the Stanley Cup Final?

It's hard. Yeah, it's hard. Normally, when you’re eliminated, you're a week at least of not watching. Last year, I don't think I watched any of the finals. Maybe the Cup-deciding game. Historically, I've always watched the Cup-deciding game. Last year was no different, now that I'm thinking about it. But it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. You go up for so long, you work so hard towards something, and then it’s ripped out from underneath you. Last thing you wanna do is watch the team that eliminated you.

Why did Vegas eliminate you so quickly? No one saw a sweep coming. Was it the injuries?

We didn't play good enough. Simple as that. There are plenty of nuances to that. Plenty of reasons for that, and you can find excuses all you want. Every team that loses can find excuses and point to them. But it’s simple as, we just didn't play our best hockey at the most important time of the year. And that’s a lesson for everybody, right? There are 31 teams that are feeling that way — and that’s the way it should be. It’s the hardest thing to win in sports. That's what we sign up for. We know there’s heartbreak on the line. When you step on the ice for training camp, we all have the same goal. But you fall short. You can either let it drag you down or let it fuel you for the next season. That's all we're ever trying to do, and we'll be an inspired group again this year.

Cale Makar extends for eight years at $20.4 million per season. What went through your head when you saw that number?

That’s where we’re at. That’s great for the sport of hockey. Great for the league. Yeah, it's a big number, absolutely. But if it’s not Cale Makar, who is it going to be? Like, it's him or Nate or Connor or Leon or Celebrini, right? There's a handful of guys that are going to be up there. Leo Carlsson, right? The stars of leagues should be getting paid, no doubt about it. Did I think a handful of years ago that somebody's going to be making 20? I don't think so. I don't think anybody did. But it's good for the league and shows we’re in a good spot.

Jaden Schwartz (six points in four games) seems like a smart, underdiscussed pickup by you guys.

He’s nifty, creative, experienced. He's one season away from scoring 26 goals, and he’s won a Cup. So, we know he's got offensive upside. He's done it plenty of times. He's hard to play against. He's hard to knock off the puck. Excited. Had some previous teammates that played with him and only heard great things. So, excited to get to know him, have him on our team and see what he can do. He's a guy that you can plug in and out through the top six and the middle six, and it just gives you so much flexibility throughout the lineup.

Big move for Daniel Alfredsson this summer. What is your relationship like with him?

Alfie! I was about what about nine years old when our team from Sweden, Hammarby, we came over to Ottawa to play the Bell Capital Cup, and we got to watch an Ottawa Senators game. We got to meet Alfie, and I was awestruck. At nine years old, that was the coolest thing. And then to get the honour of playing against him in the NHL and then playing with him in the 2014 Olympics was just the coolest thing. So, I'm a huge Alfie fan and tried to nitpick his brain on a few things. But to see his move from Ottawa to Toronto was a bit shocking to me as well. But, hey, listen, we've seen crazier things happen in the world of sports. Obviously, he's ready to take on the next challenge. It’s great for him. I’m sure that Sens fans will forgive him. He's done a lot for that organization, and he's ready for a new challenge.

Best Brent Burns story?

Man, I don't know. Was it when we had a Halloween party at his house and took me out in his backyard and showed me his night-vision goggles? (I thought), 'I didn't have that on my bingo card this morning, that you had night-vision goggles.' But he's the best. He hunts quite a bit, so I don't know if the goggles were for that, or if it was just a fun purchase he made. Burnsie, honestly, I've only played with him for one year so far. He’s one of my favourite teammates of all time. Like, he’s got this natural drive and curiosity about life, but also the sport that he's played for 20-some seasons already. And it's infectious. So, he brings a lot of energy to our team.

Burns (1,011 consecutive games played) has Phil Kessel (1,064) in his sights. Any doubt you’ll be sharing the ice with the all-time ironman?

(Pauses and chooses words carefully, so as not to jinx.) I have no doubt that he’s gonna keep showing up every day with an awesome attitude.