Colorado Avalanche to Break Major NHL Rule?

Gabriel Landeskog missed the entire season last year due to a major knee injury, and he announced that the same issue will keep him sidelined for the entirety of the next season.

Now, the Avs might be planning his comeback just in time for the playoffs.

As we saw with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Vegas Golden Knights, some teams use long-term injuries to their advantage.

Nikita Kucherov was injured for a good part of the season but came back just in time for the playoffs, where teams are allowed to exceed the salary limit. It's a huge advantage; teams essentially get a free player, often a good one.

Colorado is currently $5M over the salary cap, and the timing of the captain's return could be suspect.

It would be surprising if Landeskog wanted to wait to return until he's healthy, especially after missing almost two seasons. But if the Avs can't accommodate him because of their financial situation, he'll need to wait until the playoffs before joining his team.

Do you think the Avalanche will circumvent the cap?

As seen on Blade of Steel - Colorado Avalanche could be planning to bend rules of salary cap with a significant player