Signs of a truly shocking return for the Avalanche.

I'll be honest, I'm not quite sure I can believe what I am seeing.

On Monday morning, the Colorado Avalanche hit the ice for what should have otherwise been a routine practice except for the fact that there was one truly shocking addition to the normal group of bodies on the ice. That's because on Monday morning, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog was out on the ice and practicing, at full speed, with the rest of his fellow Avalanche teammates.

Now if you're anything like me you might find this a little hard to believe, but thankfully there is video to prove it:

Landeskog also stayed on the ice for the entire practice, which is yet another good sign for the Avalanche.

This may signal what would perhaps be one of the most shocking returns in recent National Hockey League history, with Landeskog having last played NHL hockey all the way back in 2022. Landeskog has been sidelined since the Avalanche's Stanley Cup winning season during the 2021-22 campaign, and this has been no minor injury for the Swedish forward. Landeskog would originally undergo arthroscopic knee surgery, a fairly common procedure in the world of professional sports, following the Stanley Cup Final but would eventually require a cartilage transplant in his right knee that has kept him out of the lineup ever since.

Many, including myself, have had serious doubts about whether or not Landeskog would ever be able to make a return to the NHL following such a significant injury as well as the massive layoff that came with it, but throughout his recovery Landeskog has always insisted he would indeed comeback and has never given up hope.

It seems he took a big step towards making that a reality today.