Avalanche's Gabriel Landeskog could be ready for playoffs after knee surgery

The Colorado Avalanche were always going to be a tough out during the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs, as they clinched the best record in the Western Conference and, thus, will have home-ice advantage through the first three rounds of the tournament. 

It appears, though, that Colorado could improve at the start of May without having to do anything. 

According to Ryan Boulding of the NHL's website, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told reporters Tuesday that forward and captain Gabriel Landeskog could be ready to go when the playoffs get underway on Monday. Landeskog has been sidelined since needing knee surgery back on March 14. 

Before the injury, Landeskog tallied 30 goals and 29 assists across 51 games. The Avalanche still have three regular-season games left on the schedule, but Landeskog understandably isn't expected to take the ice for any of those essentially meaningless matchups. 

"Hopefully getting 'Landy' back with the group here sometime this week," Bednar explained. "Non-contact to start. … I'd say unlikely (he returns during the regular season)."

As noted by ESPN, Colorado would face the Dallas Stars, who currently own the conference's second wild-card playoff berth, if the postseason began today. However, the Stars haven't yet clinched a spot in the tournament.