Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog drops sobering take after brutal Golden Knights sweep

Gabriel Landeskog has been the captain of the Colorado Avalanche for a decade and a half, and no one on the roster better understands how difficult it is to win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Avs captured the Stanley Cup in 2022, but they haven’t returned to the Final since, and they watched another promising campaign slip away in a shocking sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.

Colorado has had some excellent teams since Landeskog earned the ‘C’ at age 19 back in 2012, but it’s hard to argue they’ve ever iced a more talented roster than in 2025-26.

And that makes the loss sting even more, as the 33-year-old knows opportunities like this don’t come around forever.

“You never know if you’re ever going to get the chance again,” Landeskog told reporters following the defeat. “That’s what hurts. It’s hard making the playoffs, and it’s hard winning one round and two rounds, let alone going all the way.

“You never know what the next opportunity is going to look like… I think for us, believing in this group, believe in the guys that we have in this organization, and we’ll give ourselves the best chance possible come year after year.”

The Avalanche won the President’s Trophy as the league’s best team before sweeping the Los Angeles Kings and beating the Minnesota Wild in five games.

That makes the result even more stunning, and reinforces just how razor-thin the margins are in the NHL playoffs. Colorado now enters an offseason filled with uncomfortable questions, including scrutiny surrounding head coach Jared Bednar.

One question that has already been answered is Landeskog’s health; he was outstanding throughout the postseason after missing three full campaigns while recovering from a serious knee injury and multiple procedures.

“I think at the end of the day, if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last handful of years, it’s [when] you get knocked down, you just get right back up,” the captain said. “I think that’s the only way to do it.”

Landeskog finished the playoffs with six goals and 11 points in 13 games while continuing to impact the game at both ends of the ice. He’ll remain a central piece of Colorado’s veteran core as the franchise again tries to climb back to hockey’s peak in 2026-27.

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