The knee that was initially hurt in 2020 and eventually begun being repaired in 2022 was finally well enough to allow Landeskog to make his return. It took him just into a second game to return to his goal-scoring ways. He might not be perfectly up to the speed of an NHL game, but Landeskog just seems extremely grateful to be out there at all.

And in his own unique way, Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen liked seeing his old friend, Gabriel Landeskog. Game 3 between the Stars and the Colorado Avalanche was a special game. Landeskog made his magical return to hockey after a 1000+ day absence from playing. The last time he played an NHL game was in Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.

Gabriel Landeskog’s right knee feels “really good” two days after his first NHL game in nearly three seasons. His thumbs may soon be a different story.