By Balraj Dhillon (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: November 16, 2011
The Colorado Avalanche have received a hefty return on their decision to invest a second overall pick in Swedish winger Gabriel Landeskog this past June in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. The sensational rookie at the age of 18 is tied for fourth in rookie scoring so far into the young season. However, this sort of production should come as no surprise to the Avalanche management team as they were well aware of Landeskog’s impressive resume.
At just the age of 16 and 90 days Gabriel Landeskog became the youngest player ever to play in the Swedish Elite League, Elitserien. Prior to the 2009-2010 OHL season, Landeskog’s rights were traded to the Kitchener Rangers by the Plymouth Whalers. Landeskog finished the regular season ranked third in points scored among all OHL rookies with 24 goals and 46 points in 61 games. Throughout the Rangers playoff run, Landeskog was the top rookie point scorer across the league scoring eight goals and 23 points in 20 playoff games; his team fell to the Windsor Spitfires in the conference finals.
The following season Landeskog was named the captain of the Kitchener Rangers; he would be the first ever European to captain the Kitchener team. As captain of the Rangers, Landeskog scored 36 goals and 66 points in 51 games played. In the playoffs, Kitchener was eliminated in game seven of the first round. In those seven games, Landeskog had six goals and 10 points.
His impressive two-year stint in the OHL allowed Landeskog to be drafted second overall behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who went first overall to the Edmonton Oilers; he was the first ever Swedish-born player to be drafted in the first round out of the OHL. Kitchener had cut Landeskog from the team to open up a roster spot, anticipating that he would make the Colorado club. Fortunately for them, he did make the team, largely due to the fact that his rookie salary would bump the Avalanche up to meeting the requirements for the minimum salary roll.
Landeskog has not made the Avalanche regret their decision. Through his first 17 NHL games, he has five goals and eight points, and a plus-two rating. He’s tied for fourth among rookie scoring, six points back of the leader. His first NHL goal came early in the season against the Columbus Blue Jackets; he tipped a shot by defenceman Jan Hejda with 41 seconds left in the third period to tie the game up and send it to overtime. The goal made him the youngest Swedish player to ever score one in the NHL – 18 years and 330 days.
With young, offensive-minded stars such as Landeskog, Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reily, the Colorado Avalanche have a bright future ahead of them. Just a couple key changes on defence and the thought of returning to their powerhouse ways of the late 90s won’t seem like just a distant pipe dream to the Avalanche faithful.
