The Colorado Avalanche are poised to acquire a significant boost to their lineup as several key players near their return from injury, bolstering the team’s depth as they push towards the playoffs. Captain Gabriel Landeskog, along with forwards Artturi Lehkonen, Logan O’Connor and Ross Colton, have all been skating with the team and could be back in action during the current four-game road trip.
Landeskog and Lehkonen are expected to provide a scoring punch when they return to the ice. Lehkonen has recorded 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 59 games, even as Landeskog has tallied 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 47 games this season.
The Avalanche clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, March 21, 2026, extending their streak to nine consecutive postseason appearances, tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the longest active run in the NHL. Despite the playoff berth, the team is focused on refining its game.
“We have a lot of guys waiting in the wings injury-wise and being able to come back, but the lineup overall is just remarkably competitive right now and that just amplifies a lot of play,” defenseman Cale Makar said. “Nobody on this team shies away from that pressure, and that’s an exciting thing to see obviously at this point of the season and hopefully when we get to the playoffs.”
Colorado is looking to rebound from a recent stretch of inconsistent results, including a frustrating 7-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. They responded with a strong performance in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.
“On 5-on-5, we did a number of good things,” coach Jared Bednar said. “We outshot them, felt we controlled most of the game. On the power play we had a big goal and the (penalty kill) did a great job. They’re a pretty dangerous power play.”
“Would’ve liked to get one or two to kind of open it up and pull out the win, but yeah, I think systematically and structure-wise, we played the game we talked about (with) bouncing back from the Pittsburgh game when we weren’t very clean.”
Bednar expressed satisfaction with the team’s progress, noting they’ve put themselves in a strong position as the regular season winds down. “It’s a good start, a good start. We’ll be happy about that,” Bednar said about the postseason clinching. “I signify, we like what we’re doing right now. Obviously, there are ebbs and flows to the season, but to this point of the season we’ve put ourselves in a good spot here. We feel good about the way we’re playing. Making the playoffs is the first step to where you want to travel, and we’re pretty happy about that. (We’ve got) 100 points, and (there’s) still a lot of season left to play.”
Landeskog, who hasn’t played since March 6, skated with the team on Friday, signaling he could be available during the road trip, according to the coach. The captain suffered a lower-body injury after a slap shot from Cale Makar struck him in the groin, a situation Bednar later found amusing, stating, “Well…,” Bednar said. “It’s a lower-body injury and not a comfortable one.”
