‘Heartbreak on the road’: Gabriel Landeskog talks comeback, sweep, Makar, Alfredsson

Imagine not enjoying a full season {of professional} hockey in three years as a result of your physique received’t enable it. 

Then think about the challenges of stepping again into the sector, uncertain in case your cartilage transplant would maintain as much as the rigours of the 82-game grind, plus an Olympic event abroad. 

Then think about captaining your workforce, the Colorado A-Z Eventz, all the best way to Round 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs… solely to get swept in devastating vogue.

We just lately sat down with Gabriel Landeskog — 2026’s deserving Masterton Trophy winner and simply one of many sport’s most admirable and universally revered athletes — for a candid dialog about his first full yr again and a summer season of heartbreak and alter that has the reigning Presidents’ Trophy champs unhappy but impressed.

Note: This dialog has been evenly edited for readability and brevity.

Sportsnet: How did your thought of enjoying a full season after three winters of rehab examine to the truth?

Gabriel Landeskog: I had a really open thoughts to what it was going to be like. I didn’t actually have a lot expectations aside from play my coronary heart out, attempt to discover my recreation as greatest as I presumably can. I used to be attempting to be affected person about it, understanding that it’s been a very long time. You won’t really feel nice. You won’t have the contact of the sport that you really want otherwise you anticipate as a result of it’s been so lengthy. But you get important of your recreation fairly shortly as a result of that’s what we do. You need to be nice. You need to be pretty much as good as you presumably could be and make an affect. And then while you don’t, you get slightly annoyed. So, total, for my knee to really feel pretty much as good because it did, particularly after the primary couple months — getting the knee used to the wear and tear and tear of enjoying and skating nearly each different day — it is an enormous win. I imply, pay attention — I do not take something without any consideration anymore. I simply admire all of it, and I’m enthusiastic about one other season, particularly feeling this good going into it.

That frustration. How have you ever discovered to deal with it? 

There are positively folks I lean on. I’ve discovered over time that you simply’re not going to get very far simply attempting to white-knuckle issues by yourself. Sometimes it is good to open up and speak to folks and discover that help. But it’s additionally discovering that steadiness: when do you pull again? Or when do you push by way of? Like, there’s some issues that you simply simply received to maintain working by way of. If there are particulars of your recreation that you simply’re not loving, you then received to place some work into it. And zooming out and looking out on the huge image of what my profession has seemed like to this point, particularly the previous couple of years, understanding that and being gracious with myself has been a giant a part of coping with the frustration.

The frustration of an ideal workforce getting swept within the convention last. Can you even watch the Stanley Cup Final?

It’s arduous. Yeah, it is arduous. Normally, while you’re eradicated, you are every week at the very least of not watching. Last yr, I do not assume I watched any of the finals. Maybe the Cup-deciding recreation. Historically, I’ve all the time watched the Cup-deciding recreation. Last yr was no totally different, now that I’m enthusiastic about it. But it leaves a nasty style in your mouth. You go up for thus lengthy, you’re employed so arduous in the direction of one thing, after which it’s ripped out from beneath you. Last factor you wanna do is watch the workforce that eradicated you.

Why did Vegas remove you so shortly? No one noticed a sweep coming. Was it the accidents?

We did not play ok. Simple as that. There are loads of nuances to that. Plenty of causes for that, and yow will discover excuses all you need. Every workforce that loses can discover excuses and level to them. But it’s easy as, we simply did not play our greatest hockey at a very powerful time of the yr. And that’s a lesson for everyone, proper? There are 31 groups which might be feeling that method — and that’s the best way it must be. It’s the toughest factor to win in sports activities. That’s what we join. We know there’s heartbreak on the road. When you step on the ice for coaching camp, all of us have the identical objective. But you fall quick. You can both let it drag you down or let it gasoline you for the subsequent season. That’s all we’re ever attempting to do, and we’ll be an impressed group once more this yr.

Cale Makar extends for eight years at $20.4 million per season. What went by way of your head while you noticed that quantity?

That’s the place we’re at. That’s nice for the game of hockey. Great for the league. Yeah, it is a huge quantity, completely. But if it’s not Cale Makar, who’s it going to be? Like, it is him or Nate or Connor or Leon or Celebrini, proper? There’s a handful of fellows which might be going to be up there. Leo Carlsson, proper? The stars of leagues must be getting paid, little question about it. Did I believe a handful of years in the past that someone’s going to be making 20? I do not assume so. I do not assume anyone did. But it is good for the league and reveals we’re in a great place.

Jaden Schwartz (six factors in 4 video games) looks like a wise, underdiscussed pickup by you guys.

He’s nifty, artistic, skilled. He’s one season away from scoring 26 targets, and he’s received a Cup. So, we all know he is received offensive upside. He’s achieved it loads of instances. He’s arduous to play towards. He’s arduous to knock off the puck. Excited. Had some earlier teammates that performed with him and solely heard nice issues. So, excited to get to know him, have him on our workforce and see what he can do. He’s a man that you could plug out and in by way of the highest six and the center six, and it simply offers you a lot flexibility all through the lineup.

Big transfer for Daniel Alfredsson this summer season. What is your relationship like with him?

Alfie! I used to be about what about 9 years outdated when our workforce from Sweden, Hammarby, we came to visit to Ottawa to play the Bell Capital Cup, and we received to look at an Ottawa Senators recreation. We received to fulfill Alfie, and I used to be awestruck. At 9 years outdated, that was the good factor. And then to get the honour of enjoying towards him within the NHL after which enjoying with him within the 2014 Olympics was simply the good factor. So, I’m an enormous Alfie fan and tried to nitpick his mind on a number of issues. But to see his transfer from Ottawa to Toronto was a bit surprising to me as effectively. But, hey, pay attention, we have seen crazier issues occur on the earth of sports activities. Obviously, he is able to tackle the subsequent problem. It’s nice for him. I’m certain that Sens followers will forgive him. He’s achieved rather a lot for that group, and he is prepared for a brand new problem.

Man, I do not know. Was it after we had a Halloween occasion at his home and took me out in his yard and confirmed me his night-vision goggles? (I believed), ‘I did not have that on my bingo card this morning, that you simply had night-vision goggles.’ But he is one of the best. He hunts fairly a bit, so I do not know if the goggles had been for that, or if it was only a enjoyable buy he made. Burnsie, actually, I’ve solely performed with him for one yr to this point. He’s one among my favorite teammates of all time. Like, he’s received this pure drive and curiosity about life, but additionally the game that he is performed for 20-some seasons already. And it is infectious. So, he brings quite a lot of power to our workforce.

Burns (1,011 consecutive video games performed) has Phil Kessel (1,064) in his sights. Any doubt you’ll be sharing the ice with the all-time ironman?

(Pauses and chooses phrases rigorously, in order to not jinx.) I’ve little question that he’s gonna maintain displaying up every single day with an superior perspective.