Gabriel Landeskog: Avalanche Star of the Week

Sometimes Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog‘s talent and skill get overshadowed. They’re overshadowed by the hype around Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon. They’re overshadowed by Landeskog’s aggravating power forward style.

Yet Gabriel Landeskog is not only a talented and skilled winger, he’s a very capable leader.

Every Sunday during the off season we’ve been taking a look at different Colorado Avalanche players and the contributions they made to the team. As we gear up for the preseason, there’s just one more player to check out — our captain, Gabriel Landeskog.

Gabriel Landeskog Statistics

A lot of Colorado Avalanche despaired of Landeskog at the beginning of the season. It wasn’t just that he started out slow, like the rest of the team did. He also had that horrible slump that lasted all of December

However, come January, the puck started favoring Gabriel Landeskog. By the end of the season, he finished tied for first in points with 59 and in second for goals with 23. Incidentally, he was also tied for second in penalty minutes.

Landeskog is a quintessential power forward, so he plays a physical game. This shows in his stats. Besides the matter of his 79 penalty minutes, he laid opponents with 169 hits, or 6.7 hits per 60 minutes of play. And within those penalty minutes were 15 for fighting and a 10-minute game misconduct he earned for this play:

Again, that’s not to say there’s no finesse to Landeskog’s game. His shooting percentage is a bit low — 10.8% — but that’s mainly because he took it upon himself to lead the Avs in doing something they weren’t — shoot the puck more. (He finished first in that category.) His turnover ratio was good — +18.

Another way Landeskog tried to lead the team was in the power play. The Avalanche’s power play was so disheartening. Yet Landeskog got the puck going during the man-advantage, and eight of his 21 goals came during the power play.

Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog’s statistics from the 2014-15 season. Photo credit: Sporting Charts

Gabriel Landeskog Role

Gabriel Landeskog is the captain of the Colorado Avalanche. He is part of the new style of captains in which he was named early in order to grow into his role with the team. In fact, he was the youngest player to ever be named captain of an NHL team.

As was revealed in a Sunday long read by NHL.com, Landeskog was groomed from childhood to be an NHL captain one day. And he has certainly become a leader for the Avalanche.

Some remark that he’s not very critical in the locker room. However, capable leaders know how to delegate, and Landeskog seems to take on more of a supportive role for his teammates. Certainly I’ve seen him stand up for his teammates.

Landeskog also leads with his play on the ice. Whatever the situation warrants, he’s ready, whether it’s an assist, a hit or a captain fight:

Let’s face it, that felt good at the time.

He’s also a very capable spokesperson for the team. Even when times are tough, Landeskog faces the hardest questions without ever acting short or impatient.

Just so there’s no thinking Landeskog is a goon, here’s a classic Landy goal:

Gabriel Landeskog’s Future

I always like to say center Matt Duchene is our franchise player, but no question Gabriel Landeskog is the face of the franchise.

Landeskog has the longest contract of any player, being signed through the 2020-21 season. As he stands with the team right now — captain and one of the leading scorers before he’s even hit his prime– there’s no reason to think Landeskog is going anywhere anytime soon.

Next: Is Landy Going to be a Beast Next Year

Gabriel Landeskog Statistics

Gabriel Landeskog Role

Gabriel Landeskog’s Future

More from Mile High Sticking