Everything has gone right for the Colorado Avalanche this season. They’re the only team to have beaten every other team in the league this season. They have the most points in the league, and it seems like it’s been that way all season. They score a ton, their goaltending has been excellent, and now their power play unit seems to be starting to click.
It’s obviously been a total team effort, with general manager Chris MacFarland putting the pieces together to make this team the deepest in the league heading into the playoffs.
The most important factor aiding this total team domination, however, isn’t a move that MacFarland made, but a move he didn't. It was the patience the entire organization displayed in allowing its Captain, Gabriel Landeskog, to take the time he needed to heal to 100% health and return to this team.
The results have been immeasurable since Landy returned. His numbers may not be anything to scoff at, with 32 points in 52 games, but the intangibles he brings to the team, the locker room, the chemistry and other facets are what has helped this team to have such a quality season.
Head coach Jared Bednar, when asked in a recent press conference, called Landeskog the “godfather” of the group. He said the Swede is another coach on the ice, and that the temperament of the team starts and stops with him.
"Landeskog is like the Godfather of the group. He's an extension of the coaching staff... if we need to get cranked up a little bit, he'll help us do that. With Nate, if we need to calm down a little, he's good at picking that out as well"#GoAvsGo | Driven By: Landmark Lincoln pic.twitter.com/s7oZECOZeR
— Guerilla Sports (@guerillasports) March 30, 2026
The Captain provides very good information delivered in the right way at the right time, according to Bednar. No stat line can capture these abilities, but they are absolutely vital to a team’s success. The NHL season is a long one, and it ebbs and flows. When a team has the ability to maintain a similar demeanor for the bulk of the season, that means someone is doing something right. Landeskog is the pied piper of the team, pushing the right buttons at the right times.
Every team needs a Michael Corleone to lead it. A boss, if you will, carries respect. They have tenure. Their team listens. It’s clear, based off Bednar’s comments, that he views Landeskog as that guy for the team. He’s been around through the good times and the bad. He’ll fight, he’ll scratch and claw and do whatever it takes to win. He’s calculated in his speech and says the right things at the right times.
He’s a leader. Leaders are invaluable to a team's success.
The team has responded this year, as number 92 has been back for his first full season since 2021-22. The team already has more points than they did last year, with nine games still to play. They’ve got a swagger this year that will serve them well come playoff time.
Landeskog is a vital cog. He’s been the unquestioned team leader, even with superstar Nathan MacKinnon in tow, since he’s put on the burgundy and blue sweater. With him back in the lineup, the team has its don.
Landeskog’s moxie, playoff pedigree, and prowess will only serve to help the team in its chase for Lord Stanley.