in Landeskog Sends Message in Return to Avalanche's Training Camp

The 32-year-old forward made his return last spring in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, appearing in five games against the Dallas Stars and scoring four points.

While Colorado was eliminated in the first round, Landeskog said the brief postseason run showed him he could still compete at the highest level.

“I think the biggest change was probably just a little bit of a weight off your shoulders, right, and knowing that you were able to play,” Landeskog said. “There wasn’t that constant question of, ‘Are you going to be able to play at that intensity that’s required?’

“So, some of that has been lifted off my shoulders, but at the same time, it's the hunger to come back better, and the hunger to come back and still kind of (have) that chip on your shoulder of wanting to continue to get better, as an individual but also as a team, right?

“I think that fuels you, and it's been a good offseason.”

Avs head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Landeskog will not face restrictions, though the staff will monitor his workload.

“He’s feeling great, so he’ll be full-go,” Bednar said. “If at any point he comes to me and he’s fatigued or not feeling ready, then we’ll play cautiously.”

Bednard warned fans that if Landeskog doesn't make it to the ice at some point in training camp, that's no reason to worry, as it will come down to conditioning and taking days off.

Landeskog, for one, made clear his return to the team has one big goal in mind.

“The end goal is to win another Stanley Cup and hopefully win multiple,” Landeskog said. “I didn’t grind my [tail] off for three years to come back and just be a part of the team. You try to win, and we want to put another banner up in the building.”

The Avalanche will get their regular season going on Oct. 7 when they face the Los Angeles Kings.