DENVER — Gabriel Landeskog is coming back to the Colorado Avalanche after a two-game stint in the minor leagues for rehabilitation.

The team announced on Tuesday that Landeskog`s conditioning assignment with the Colorado Eagles in the American Hockey League has concluded. He played for the Eagles on Friday and Saturday, marking progress in his recovery from a knee injury. This injury required two surgeries and kept him out for the previous two seasons.

On Saturday, during his second rehab game, Landeskog scored his first professional goal in almost three years.

Landeskog, 32, hasn`t played in the NHL since June 2022, when he lifted the Stanley Cup. The Swedish forward could be ready to play as early as this weekend for Game 1 of the Avalanche`s first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars, potentially being activated by the end of the regular season.

His return is a significant positive development for Colorado, particularly as they face a challenging path in the Western Conference.

Landeskog`s last NHL game was on June 26, 2022 – 1023 days ago.