Landeskog healthy enough to play at Olympics, named Sweden captain

Landeskog is already a legend among his Swedish peers. He was the No. 2 pick by the Avalanche at the 2011 NHL Draft and made the team as a 19-year-old out of training camp, then won the Calder Trophy as the League’s top rookie with 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 82 games. He was named captain on Sept. 4, 2012, becoming the youngest player in NHL history to hold the role.

For the better part of a decade, Landeskog was a reliable, two-way power forward — until injuries started taking a toll.

“The person he is, the player he is, the leader he is,” Sweden forward Mika Zibanejad (New York Rangers) said. “Everything he has been through. Everyone is obviously happy for him to be and happy for us to have him be here.

“It’s an incredible journey he has been through, even though the past few weeks with everything that has been going on. It’s awesome to have him here.”

Each player knows what Landeskog has gone through to reach this point. They have heard the stories and seen the videos of relentless and excruciating rehab. They can only imagine the doubts that must have gnawed at Landeskog as he navigated a journey without guideposts or a promised finish line. They happily share in the joy of his triumphs against fear and pain.

Landeskog has played 41 games for Colorado this season and has 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists). The Avalanche (37-9-9) are first in the NHL and were on a record pace before their captain was forced to leave the lineup. They went 6-6-2 in the 14 games without Landeskog.

“He’s such a good leader; you see how well Colorado does this year,” Sweden defenseman Hampus Lindholm (Boston Bruins) said. “Having him around, having him around the locker room, he creates a lot of calmness around the team. He’s a great leader and fun to be around, so super excited.

“Happy for him, seeing him go through all that adversity.”