Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog came up short in the 2025 Bill Masterton Trophy voting.
Sean Monahan of the Columbus Blue Jackets got the honor, edging Landeskog and Minnesota Wild netminder Marc-Andre Fleury. Monahan got the good news from Meredith Gaudreau, wife of the late Johnny Gaudreau, Monahan’s best friend.
The entire Columbus Blue Jackets organization and community were devastated by the tragic passing of Johnny Hockey and his brother Matthew last summer. Monahan, in particular, was deeply affected by the loss of his longtime friend.
Yet, Monahan and the Blue Jackets continued despite the dark cloud hanging over their heads this season.
As for Gabriel Landeskog, he fought through another year of painful recovery from a devastating knee injury and arduous recovery from surgery to suit up in Game 3 of the Colorado Avalanche’s opening-round series against the Dallas Stars.
The Avalanche captain looked like he hadn’t missed a beat, scoring in the series to come full circle. The last time Landeskog had played was in 2022 when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup.
In light of the tragic passing of one of the NHL’s most recognizable names, it seems fitting that Monahan, in representation of the entire Columbus Blue Jackets community, received the Bill Masterton trophy as the award celebrates perseverance and dedication to hockey.
Gabriel Landeskog on track to play full season for Colorado Avalanche in 2025-26
At this point, there seems to be no indication that Gabriel Landeskog won’t be in the lineup come opening night next fall. Landeskog completed a successful conditioning stint with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL before suiting up for the big club in the playoffs.
That’s why it’s hard to envisage Landeskog not being in the lineup next season.
While there’s a chance that Landeskog may see limited action throughout the year, there doesn’t seem to be any reason to believe he wouldn’t be a regular. In my estimation, Landeskog could play at least 60 games, as getting regular breaks and rest will be crucial to ensuring he doesn’t push himself too hard, or too soon.
Overall, the Colorado Avalanche would greatly benefit from having Landeskog back with the team for a full season, even if it complicates the team’s cap situation. Having a healthy Landeskog gives the Avalanche a hardworking top-six forward who can score, and, most importantly, provide critical leadership.
The Avalanche will be looking to put the bitter disappointment of this season behind them and look toward a successful 2025-26 season.