JD POV: We all agree that Landeskog is coming back soon.

With the Colorado Avalanche on an absolute tear heading into the playoffs, we discuss the fact that team captain Gabriel Landeskog has been a regular participant in practice lately. And we all agree that he should be back in time for the postseason to play his first games since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2022.

To hear this episode in its entirety, check out our most recent show with Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
NHL Unscripted is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
It's interesting, do you think Landeskog?

Speaker 2 (00:10):
I mean, is he coming back to the playoffs or what?
I man, You're not. You're not. There's no way you're
creating a documentary about yourself, selling it per teal and
then having it be released this season where you're coming
back to skate with the team. I've heard from a

(00:32):
couple inside sources that he had some setbacks, but he's
he is trending in a direction and I foresee him
coming back into the playoffs. I think, I just why
would you do it? And I watched a couple of
those practices that they aired. You know there, he looks
very good, He looks very fast, he looks very explosive

(00:54):
and now tal like we're kind of talking about this,
especially with in terms of rights and everything like that.
This is probably a long process for him to sell this.
So he's already known for a while that he's coming back,
and these are all pre recorded, so it's kind of like,
I think, it's just there's a crescendo coming, there's a
climax coming, and it's gonna be him playing in the playoffs,

(01:16):
and I mean we were just talking about it too before, Like,
I don't see a world in which just having Landeskog
on the bench can't benefit your team, even if he's
playing four or five minutes a night and just being physical.
He's a leader, he's he knows what he's doing. He's
a he's a there's guys that can do it. I
know everybody says two years off, there's guys that can't

(01:36):
do it. Like I probably couldn't come back and just
play and be super effective. I could probably be somewhat effective.
But guys like him that have a pedigree, winning pedigree,
they know how to play the game. They're special players.
Like we forget because it's been a while since he's
been back in the league, but he is very good
and he understands how to play the game. He's got

(01:56):
a very high hockey IQ. Plays penalty kill, plays power play,
and I just don't see a world in which he
doesn't come back and doesn't be impactful for this team
to well.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah, just like you said, even if he's getting a
few minutes a game on the fourth line, think about
the lift that they're getting from having their captain back
and just a guy who plays like Landeskog, so physical,
so assertive on the ice, and last time he played,
he lifted the Stanley Cup. I mean, it all feels
to me like it's ready to culminate in the playoffs.

(02:26):
And you mentioned the doc. I've watched a bit of it.
I mean, there's clearly a media strategy here from Landscog
and his team. Whether it's his agent, I don't know
if he has like a media team that he works with,
but yeah, oh well, he clearly does on this doc.
But I don't know if they were working on stuff
before this happened. But and I mentioned when we were
talking about it's not like the NHL approached him and said, hey,

(02:48):
are you interested in producing a doc about your rehab
and we'll produce it with you, Like this was something
that was clearly produced internally. His team got together, you know,
maybe even last summer. Who knows when this all started,
but they got together and said, Okay, let's start getting
some footage, let's start filming the rehab. Let's start sitting
you know, Landskog down for some interviews and walking us

(03:10):
through the whole process this there's clearly a very specific
media strategy in mind, and it's hard to imagine that
they would do that and put all this together and
make the deal with with Turner and Amazon and make
sure that the whole world is seeing this without an
idea that he it culminates with the big finale, the

(03:33):
big third act, you know, the big reveal at the
end where he's back on the ice. I mean, it's
it's it's a great script. Whoever's writing the script with
team Landeskog is doing a pretty good job.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
Adam, what do you think, like, why would you you know,
why would they have this documentary come out if not
for the to what tow's point? Beautifully beautifully put point.
He's he's so very charismatic in the words that he
wow and and says burying him earlier and now you're
giving him his flowers. But yeah, but I'd like to
break him down to build them up. That's the way
we get him in the that's where we get it.

(04:05):
We've we've established our method, adn of how we do it.
We are hammer and nails, Baby, hammer and nails, right, yeah, nails, yeah,
hammered to thumbnails No, but what do you think I
don't think you're creating a documentary without you hoping or knowing,
because a lot of this is pre recorded, that you're
gonna come back one hundred percent.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
I mean you're practicing right now in late March, in
the playoffs for a few weeks away.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
I couldn't imagine Planetstuck does not come back it.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
As Toal said, it feels that script is being written
and it could be fasting how this goes again. I'll
be there in Denver on Monday.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
I'll ask him. I'll go up to him. Okay, is
lantuskog around like I'm gonna just a few minutes to.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
Enjoy the full NHL Unscripted with Verkin Demur's experience. Look
for full episodes every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts.
NHL Unscripted is a production of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
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