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Stanley Cup Playoffs bring clarity for Avs and rest of the NHL

Jesse Montano Avatar
Jesse Montano
April 16, 2023

Jesse’s Observations

Gabe Landeskog

A couple weeks ago, I wrote in this piece that I would likely be providing updates on Gabriel Landeskog every week until we had a resolution, one way or the other. 

After months of uncertainty, secrecy, confusing explanations, and an inconsistent on-ice rehab routine, the Colorado Avalanche officially announced that Gabe Landeskog would not return for the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

An absolutely devastating blow to the Avs’ chances at repeating as Stanley Cup Champions, and really just a terrible moment from the human side of things. When Landeskog met with the media ahead of the tea’s final home game of the regular season, you could tell that he was absolutely gutted. It was not a decision that was made lightly. 

The Avalanche captain said that throughout the whole process, he remained confident and optimistic that he would return. At one point saying that he had anticipated returning to play before the end of the regular season. Adding that the idea of not playing in the playoffs wasn’t even thought of as a possibility until just a few weeks ago. 

The Avs officially shut Landeskog down for the year on April 13th, this coming on the heels of an ESPN report that Landeskog and the team had held numerous meetings in the preceding days trying to determine if the 30-year-old Swede was making the progress that was needed in order for him to get back into the lineup. 

Obviously, they determined that it wasn’t possible. 

Landeskog used the word “plateaued” when referring to his rehab. That things had been progressing the way they expected (at least to an extent) for a long time, until one day… it wasn’t. I asked Gabe to clarify if there had been any setbacks or anything that had gotten worse, he said no, and that really things had just stalled. 

The two biggest revelations of the day were that this is all stemming from a freak injury that occurred in the 2020 playoff bubble, and the fact that more surgeries may be in Landeskog’s future. Meaning we are already expecting him to miss a significant portion of the 2023-2024 season. 

Landeskog said that as of right now he and his team of medical professionals have every reason to believe that he will play hockey again, but made clear that things change and that he’s just taking things day by day right now. 

He’s not skating right now. Making the point that really being on ice and putting his body under the stress of on-ice workouts like that really isn’t productive to his rehab at the moment. It sounds to me like he needs to get another procedure or two done, then he needs to give all of that a proper chance to heal without playing through any pain in order to get back on the ice as soon as possible. 

It’s a cartilage injury in his lower patella. Cartilage injuries are notoriously tricky and hard to predict, with some pretty standard cartilage injuries taking upwards of 24 months to heal completely. 

This situation has been so tough to gauge. Going back to last summer, it wasn’t until just a couple weeks before the open of training camp that Landeskog even realized something was wrong. 

Nathan MacKinnon made a comment after the team officially announced that Landeskog had been ruled out for the remainder of the year that he knew for almost a month that Landeskog wouldn’t return. 

While I am certain that MacKinnon had an idea, based on everyone I’ve talked to… nobody knew for sure that this would be the outcome until just days ago. Even if you go back to trade deadline day, the official position of the organization was that Landeskog would be back. 

It is easy to question the decision that the team made surrounding Landeskog’s salary cap hit. Opting not to take advantage of the league’s Long Term Injured Reserve loophole in order to add a bigger piece in season that would have helped bolster the team’s roster heading into the postseason. 

I get it. I do. I get why people would look at that and question it. Here’s how I see things though… As I previously stated, I have every reason to believe that the team was being honest when they said they expected him to be back. Meaning, they didn’t think they would actually have that $7M in salary cap space to use. 

But, let’s just give into the conspiracies for a second and say they DID know that Gabe Landeskog wouldn’t play a game this season. In that case, I wholeheartedly support their decision to not move major assets to try and land a high-end rental at the deadline. 

By holding on to those assets, the Avs are now in a situation where they can go into this offseason with a much better idea of what Landeskog’s long-term outlook is, and make decisions appropriately. So, if they know that Landeskog will miss all of next year again, now they can really take advantage of not having to worry about this cap hit for a full season. 

How could they have possibly gone “all in” this year, without one of their most important players. It would have felt like a waste of very valuable assets to me. Especially for a rental. 

You’re playing with house money right now. The fact that they have won their division, and are still the odds-on favorites to come out of the West, all without Landeskog is incredibly impressive. Why not just let it ride and see what happens?

You can see Landeskog’s full availability here. 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cq_qMhgJXSI/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

It’s a brutal situation for all involved, and what makes it harder is that really nobody saw this coming. All you can really do at this point is hope that Landeskog is able to make a full recovery, regardless of how long it takes. He’s an outstanding leader, such a massive part of this Avalanche team, and just an all around great human. I’m wishing nothing but the absolute best for him and his family. 

Other injury updates

Whew. Ok. That was a mouthful. Let’s fly through these other injury updates, especially since as of right now it seems like pretty much all good news. 

Both Josh Manson and Cale Makar are expected to be a full go for Game 1 against the Seattle Kraken. If that is the case, it will mark the first time all season that the Avs would have their full d-core intact. Their true top-seven. For my money, when fully healthy, this is the best defensive group in the league by a pretty wide margin. As hard as it will be for the Avs to repeat without Gabe Landeskog, their defense is kind of their great equalizer. 

A healthy playoff run for the Avalanche backend, and all bets are off. 

Beyond the defense, Avs Head Coach Jared Bednar said that he feels pretty confident that the team will be as close to 100% as they have been all year by the time the puck drops on this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Once they clinched a playoff berth, the team prioritized getting healthy. They wanted to make sure they were going into the postseason as healthy as they could possibly be. Which makes that division title that much more impressive given the dog fight they were in with the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild in the final weeks. 

Playoffs have arrived

What a season this has been. 

Offense exploded, youth, speed, and skill continue to take over the game, and we saw some unbelievable history unfold on the ice.

It came down to the very last game, on the very last day of the NHL regular season to get all of the playoff matchups locked in, and boy oh boy are there some good ones. 

We will have our entire Playoff preview video series on the DNVR Sports Youtube channel, so make sure to go check those out before the games start on Monday. 

I just wanted to drop a couple of quick notes and thoughts that I had now that we know who is playing who.

The Boston Bruins now own the NHL record for most wins in a season. They have been an absolute wagon all season, and that usually spells doom come playoff time. It’s so hard to play an entire season with nothing going wrong, never playing through a bad stretch. Even last year’s Avalanche team that felt unstoppable stumbled out of the gates and limped across the regular season finish line. It’s hard to play a perfect season.

I do not pick against the Tampa Bay Lightning. I just won’t do it. They have proven time and time again that they refuse to go away and elevate their game the most when their backs are against the wall. That said, woof. They might be in some trouble this year. The injuries are piling up, and they just look run down. Not to mention the loss of Ryan McDonagh, who played a key shutdown role for them. They pulled Toronto in the first round, so I guess they have a chance (cue rimshot), and Andrei Vasilevsky has proven that he can win series almost single-handedly, so I will say it again… I do not pick against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

I think that Edmonton has the best team that they have had in this era, easily their most well-rounded group to date. I also think they got a potentially disastrous draw in Round 1. The LA Kings are built to slow you down, and just make life miserable between the blue lines. They have two bonafide shut-down centers in Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danult, and if they are close to fully healthy, this year’s Kings group packs way more offensive punch than the team that lost in seven games to Edmonton last year. LA has needed better goaltending all year, and I think they got that in Jonas Korpisalo. I think this is going to be a great series. 

Nothing is a given, but the Avs did themselves a huge favor by winning the division and pulling the Seattle Kraken in Round 1. Don’t get me wrong, I think Seattle has an exciting team that’s on the rise, and I think they’re going to play carefree hockey. Which can be lethal. That said, I think Colorado takes care of business here and can do so in a way that will allow them to settle into the playoffs a bit. With everything the Avalanche have had to battle through this season, you’ll take a path of least resistance anywhere you can get it. 

Out with the old?

The last time the Stanley Cup Playoffs didn’t feature either one of Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin, there was no such thing as an iPhone.

Let that sink in for a second. 

Crosby and Ovechkin have been the faces of the NHL for almost two decades now, and rightfully so. In my opinion, Crosby is the greatest player to ever play, and Ovechkin the greatest goal-scorer of all time. Being able to watch them in their prime is truly one of my all-time sports-watching pleasures. It’s been truly special to watch them play from the moment they stepped into the league. 

The fact that the playoffs will kick off and not feature either #8 or #87 just doesn’t feel right, and it’s a sobering reminder that time marches on no matter what, and that two of the best players to ever do it are approaching the window portion of their careers. The guard is beginning to change. 

The new generation… McDavid, MacKinnon, Makar, Matthews, and soon Bedard have officially taken center stage. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Crosby and Ovechkin are done. Far from it. But both teams missing the playoffs proves that both players are no longer at the point in their careers where they can drag their teams into success single-handedly. 

Big changes are ahead for both organizations, with huge front office and coaching changes already taking place. While I don’t think either Ovechkin or Crosby will be on the move in the coming months… I do think we’re starting to approach the territory where that might be a conversation in the not-all-that-distant future. Crazy times. 

Turning the Page in Chicago

Ok, you’ve all read enough from me. I was able to sit down with Jay Zawaski of CHGO. Jay does a fantastic job of covering the Chicago Blackhawks and I wanted to check in with him to see how the Hawks’ season really went (not just by looking at their record), and more importantly, I wanted to get a good grasp of their outlook. 

It was a great conversation, and I hope you enjoy!

Meghan’s Observations

Conditioning and Recovery

This season has been rigorous. It’s taken a toll, and 465 man-games-lost later, Colorado is eager to move on from the conversation surrounding injuries to begin a new one focused squarely on the playoffs.

But it’s not easy to abandon the conversation completely. Throughout it all, the media has fielded a lot of questions and concerns regarding the strength and conditioning and medical staff in Colorado. Jared Bednar has been quick to endorse his full support and trust in their care.

One piece in all of this is the recurring theme brought up in parts of the Avs’ culture. In addition to the hard work they put on the ice, Bednar has praised his team’s commitment to take care of themselves away from the rink as well.

The conversation could, instead, key in on the ways in which players invest in their recovery.

One player who could speak to this is Logan O’Connor who dressed for all 82 games this season. When asked about his approach to conditioning, he talked about the influence of one teammate in particular.

“We look to Nate a lot of the time,” O’Connor said. “He takes care of himself like none other in the league. I’d put him up there at the top. Not that I know what other guys do, but just his diligence on and off the ice and holding us to that same standard. He doesn’t want anyone slacking off, he wants the best for the team. He’s a good guy that has great resources around him. He’s one of the best players in the world whereas other guys might not have that same access. So, just learning things from him has been huge for everyone. I think we’ve really grown as a team in that regard.”

What types of things has the team embraced?

“I think a lot of it is recovery-based like after games – it’s different,” O’Connor clarified. “Nowadays, there’s so many different methods to use and you just have to see what suits best for your individual needs: certain stretches, bike rides, nutrition, and supplements that can help to speed up recovery, help your energy levels, (and) help muscle soreness. I think all those things factor together to help our overall team speed and team recovery.”

“A bunch of guys on the team have mini red light therapy stuff,” O’Connor mentioned. “That’s definitely something that’s helped. Some guys go to (cryotherapy). Like I said, there’s so much out there right now, but it’s just seeing what works for you.”

Nathan MacKinnon’s influence has drawn criticism before, but O’Connor talked about it positively. MacKinnon is a learning tool and a resource players want to turn to. The way O’Connor puts it, the team trusts the process of an athlete at the top of his sport who has invested time and resources into uncovering the best available options.

Jakob Chychrun’s raw liver diet and the revelation that Connor Bedard has never had fast food came about just this last season.

—

For Josh Manson, who’s played in just 27 games this season, rehabilitating a lower-body injury posed many challenges this year. Because even a team completely committed to taking care of themselves can experience injuries.

“Everything’s feeling good. So far it’s been a slow road, but it’s been a steady road. Looking forward to being able to come back,” Manson said.

He will be available for Game 1.

“(It’s) definitely the most challenging season I’ve had. Obviously missing games, but just from the rehab point of view: wanting it to be better, and then it not being better, and then when it does get better, then it gets worse again, and then you start that process all over again. It happens to a lot of guys, but I can say it’s very frustrating.”

“The whole point of it is to rehab and make sure that when you do come back the game is full-go: there’s no limitations,” he added. “There’s no hesitation. There’s nothing holding me back.”

Manson explained that rehabbing this injury also took a mental toll. It was difficult not having a clear timeline for the nature of this injury.

When I asked if he’s adopted anything into his regimen that has been helpful in his recovery, Manson explained that he gets treatment a lot more than he used to. 

“The treatment and just working with our guys,” he started. “One of the big things was just stabilizing little parts of my body that I hadn’t worked on before. Doing that every day, it’s that little bit over the course of a long period of time that makes a big difference. Doing that stuff has really changed the way I feel on the ice and off the ice.”

College FA’s Settle In

The Colorado Eagles added six college free agents in recent weeks. Now, every single one has played at least one game with the Colorado Eagles.

Here’s a summary:

  • Sam Malinski (RHD) GP: 7 | G:3, A:2 | Cornell
  • Jason Polin (RW) GP: 7 | G:0, A:1 | Western Michigan
  • Ryan Sandelin (LW/RW) GP: 4 | G:1, A:0 | Minnesota State
  • Matt Stienburg (RW) GP: 4 | G:0, A:1 | Cornell
  • Ondrej Pavel (C) GP: 2 | G:0, A:0 | Minnesota State
  • Kyle Mayhew (LHD) GP: 1 | G:0, A:0 | University of Denver

Sam Malinski has looked impressive, but there’s more on that to come in a separate feature piece. Each has shown pops of potential in varying degrees. Polin is confident and involved, Sandelin registered his first career goal, Stienburg can penalty kill, has a bit of an edge, and notched his first pro-point, and Pavel and Mayhew did not look out of sorts in their limited usage.

Greg Cronin talked about the mutual appeal of Colorado to these college FAs.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the staff and organization because everybody here is totally invested,” he explained.

“We’ve had draft picks tossed into trades, right? We need to stock shelves with players. So the only way to do that, in the absence of draft picks, is getting college guys. The first thing that [McDonald] and [MacFarland] say when we get these college players is that they’re coming here because of you guys – like your reputation in developing players and they want to go with where they’re gonna get developed. They’re not looking at the Avs and saying, ‘I’ll never play there.’”

“I’ve been here long enough now to know that they can just connect the dots between the Eagles and [Sheldon Dries], the Eagles and [AJ Greer], the Eagles and [Ryan Graves], the Eagles and [Conor Timmins], and the Eagles and [Justin Barron]. They know when players are going here, they may not stay in the organization, but they’re getting trained, and they’re gonna go somewhere else and play,” Cronin added. 

“Hockey is a small community, so it spreads. It goes from the players to the agents to the general managers and then back to the players. So for me, the consummate compliment for our organization is Sammy Malinski. He was one of the most sought-after free agents out there with 32 teams recruiting him, and he made a decision to come here, even though the D is stacked. I talked to Mike Schafer and he said, ‘Hey, I’m just telling you, he could have gone anywhere. He chose to go there.”

Cronin connected Jacob MacDonald’s ties to Cornell and his path to a full-time NHL job through Colorado.

“[MacDonald] bounced around the American League (and) East Coast (league) then he came here, and then boom, he’s another one that’s full-time in the NHL. They want to get trained in an environment where they know they’ve got some visibility to the NHL.”

He spoke with Jason Polin’s head coach, Pat Ferschweiler, and received similar feedback about how Polin made the decision to come to Colorado as well.

Kevin McDonald corroborated the mutual appeal too.

“It works both ways. Because the more success we have with those players, the more the agents and the next wave of players are paying attention that this is a potential pathway that could work,” he explained.

“Whether it’s ‘We haven’t had a lot of draft picks or the prospect pool is ranked a little lower than some of the other teams competing,” – when you can combine those two factors with ‘These guys did what they were supposed to do,’ and look how successfully it’s worked out for Logan O’Connor.”

When you add [Cronin’s] coaching success with some of those guys that – let’s face it – these guys weren’t drafted. They weren’t on the fast track. They’re prospects. Those are the kinds of guys Cronin wants to get his hands on and let the teaching begin. That’s what this is about.

Cronin affirmed this too.

“I love it,’ he said on the opportunity to work with these players. “Hockey’s a chaotic game,” he added later. “If you can be comfortable in chaos, you can make plays. That’s the spirit of what we try to teach them, and I take pride in it.”

—

As reported in last week’s At the Rink, the Eagles are playoff-bound and secured home ice through the first round. With a win in their final game of the regular season over the San Diego Gulls, they finished as the third seed and will play the Ontario Reign in a best-of-three starting Wednesday.

Despite what Cronin estimated to be 53 different players coming through Loveland due to call-ups, injuries, trades, and PTOs, the Eagles finished third in their division – the same as last year’s group with the same win percentage at 0.625.

Arizona’s Future

A benefit of sister-cities, each with a team in their Connor Bedard sweepstakes era, is the opportunity to lean on their insights. The Arizona Coyotes are an intriguing team who experienced just enough magic in Mullett Arena to finish 27th in the league overall with a 21-15-5 record at home.

On the whole, their 28-40-14 record accrued 70 points and solidified a second-to-last-place finish just above the Chicago Blackhawks in the Central Division. Their chances to land the first overall pick are hampered to 7.5%, but the flashes of talent which brought them to that point revealed hope for the future: a rising Matias Maccelli who nearly notched 50 points in what would be his true rookie campaign, and the step forward from goaltender Karel Vejmelka in his sophomore season.

Jesse sat down with PHNX correspondent Craig Morgan to talk all about it.

Avs vs. Kraken

The matchup is set: Colorado vs. Seattle. Read AJ’s primer to get a glimpse at how these teams stack up side-by-side through the regular season.

Game 1 is will be Tuesday night at 8 PM MST at Ball Arena, and in positive news, the blackout should be lifted and local viewers will be able to enjoy their team again.

As far as the specifics of the match-up, it should be an entertaining contest. As Seattle’s first taste of the playoffs, expect the team and its fanbase to be energized by the experience. Colorado will seek to elevate their home record to get a jump in the series starting in Ball Arena.

Climate Pledge Arena is sure to be electric, and with the Avs’ road record, I think they’re going to revel in it once they get there.

The biggest difference maker will be the reunion of the trusted six: Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Sam Girard, Bo Byram, Josh Manson, and whichever Johnson is chosen come Game 1. Jack Johnson has made a strong case for himself. This will be the first time the defensive group has been this complete since November 4th.

The activation of Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen will pose a threat to Seattle’s suspect goaltending.

But, I don’t think it will be completely easy.

Coupled with the first-time-in-the-playoffs sheen, Seattle has a rising star in 20-year-old Matty Beniers who has held his own in overtime periods against the Avs in the regular season. Jared McCann’s 40-goal season should present a scoring threat every time he’s on the ice, and Vince Dunn’s 64-point contribution from the backend will bolster the offensive punch a little bit more. They’re going to need it in the absence of Andre Burakovsky who is to miss six weeks following a surgery to address a lower-body injury.

Seattle has a second-in-the-league shooting percentage behind the Edmonton Oilers at 11.6% and one of the fewest average shots allowed in a contest.

For a Colorado team that struggled with finishing at times, they will need to make sure they’re firing on all cylinders. Alexandar Georgiev’s confidence in net will be an important piece too, though I expect he’ll get much more sufficient support from a fully healthy D-corps.

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