Will Gabriel Landeskog Live up to Colorado Avalanche’s Expectations –NHL Special
National Hockey League (NHL) scouts did a great job in terming Gabriel Landeskog, prior to the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, as the ‘most NHL-ready’ prospect on the list of many. He certainly did turn out to be one of the best youngsters this past season and has
a whole lot to look forward to when hockey gets back on track.
After his first season in the North American major league, after the 20-year-old native of Stockholm, Sweden, was picked up as the second overall back in 2011, the Colorado Avalanche bestowed him with an honour he would have normally expected to have gotten
later on in his career, if at all.
The Colorado Avalanche made their top prospect team captain following a brilliant performance in 2011-2012, and even though they might not have made the playoffs, they still saw what many did, and that was a youngster who could lead if given the opportunity.
"It’s something you dream about as a kid, just being a part of an organization like the Avs and getting the honor to put the "C" on with the history that this club has – [former captains] Joe Sakic and Adam Foote and obviously Milan Hejduk," Landeskog said
after officially being named Colorado’s skipper. "It's a pretty humbling experience. I’m really excited and I’m looking forward to the challenge."
One thing even better about Landeskog was that he was consistent. With it being the first career season in the NHL for him, the Swedish forward could have backed down and rested a number of times, but Landeskog kept on fighting. He played all 82-games and
put up 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) along with a plus rating of 20 and 51 minutes in penalty time. That record proved to the Avalanche that Landeskog was not only a keeper, but a visionary and leader.
"I think Gabe is a great choice. He’s young, but the older guys on the team will help him. I believe he’s going to be here for a long time and he’s going to be captain for a long, long time. I feel really comfortable about this," Colorado veteran, Milan
Hejduk, said after the announcement.
There is a lot on Landeskog’s plate now and he is definitely willing to fight for it as he currently plays overseas as the NHL remains locked out, in order to continue improving from every end. He is currently locked on to a three-year, entry-level deal
with the Avalanche, worth a total of $2.775 million.
It should certainly be interesting to see how the youngster performs when the time comes and whether being in a pressure filled situation will impact it in any way or not.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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