Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche agree to extension
By Corey Leahy
The Colorado Avalanche and their captain, Gabriel Landeskog, have agreed to a seven year contract extension. The deal will keep the 20-year old around until the 2020-21 season. Landeskog has already made a big splash in the league despite only being around for two seasons.
The Avalanche selected Landeskog with the second overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. He then played the 2011-12 season so well that he won the Calder Memorial Trophy, given to the league’s rookie of the year. So it was obvious to the team that their captain needed to stay around quite a bit longer. It was a well deserved contract extension, even after just two seasons with the organization.
Joe Sakic, executive vice president of hockey operations for the Avalanche, said this on the signing in an interview on ESPN.com,
"Gabe is and will continue to be a large part of the foundation of this hockey team for many years to come. Signing our captain to a long-term extension demonstrates the commitment of Stan and Josh Kroenke to this franchise and to our fan base. In just two seasons, Gabe has already proven to be a great asset to our organization both on and off the ice. The fact that he has agreed to a long-term deal shows that he believes in this team, his teammates and the direction of this franchise moving forward."
Just last year, Gabriel Landeskog beat out Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins by just eleven days for the title of the NHL’s youngest team captain in history (19 years, 286 days). It will be interesting to see how well the Avalanche can perform this season, especially after selecting Nathan MacKinnon with the first overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft a couple of months ago.