Captain Gabriel Landeskog rejoins the Avalanche after 2-game minor-league rehab assignment

DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon spent some time on the ice Tuesday sliding pucks over to his old friend and longtime captain Gabriel Landeskog for shots on goal.

It's a possible prelude of things to come.

Landeskog rejoined the Colorado Avalanche following his two game minor-league rehab assignment. He just might be on the verge of making a return to the NHL — in the playoffs, no less — for the first time since helping the Avalanche hoist the Stanley Cup in late June 2022.

“It doesn’t leave,” MacKinnon said of Landeskog's skill set. “He’s Gabe Landeskog at the end of the day. There’s going to be some rust — three years is a crazy amount of time off. ... I think he looks great. Game situations, you can still see those instincts are there. He’s still got it, for sure.”

The Swedish standout could be activated as soon as the end of the regular season to play this weekend in Game 1 of the Avalanche’s first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars. Landeskog has been nearly a point-a-game player in six playoff runs with the Avalanche.

To get back up to speed, the 32-year-old Landeskog spent time this weekend on a conditioning loan to the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles. He played back-to-back games for the Eagles in his latest step toward a return from a knee injury that has led to a couple of surgeries and caused him to miss the past three regular seasons.

Landeskog got stronger and stronger with every shift over the weekend. He took some hits and dished them out as well, even putting a player in a headlock. He also scored a goal by redirecting a puck while standing in front of the net on a power play.

Just a gritty Landeskog sort of performance.

“He’s in a good spot,” MacKinnon said. “Hopefully, he keeps progressing, and we’ll have him back here this weekend.”

MacKinnon, defenseman Cale Makar and several other players made the trek to Blue Arena in Loveland, Colorado, on Friday to catch a glimpse of their teammate.

“It’s insane that you’re coming back three years without even playing a single game,” Makar said. “There’s going to be some rust and kinks to work out. All you can hope for is that he’s feeling good and kind of move from there.”

Landeskog told reporters after Saturday’s game his knee feels “really good.” He also added: “Not anywhere near where I want it to be, but I think it’s a good step in the right direction.”

There remains no definitive timetable for Landeskog's path going forward. Colorado coach Jared Bednar has a few days to sort out his playoff roster.

“Number one, it’s exciting that he’s back and playing. I’m really happy for him. I know it's been a long road,” Bednar said. “Number two, I think it’s exciting for us because it may give us another option here, when we get to the weekend and start playing playoff games. We'll see how he responds this week and see how it all goes. But to have another player of his caliber possibly being ready to go is only a positive one from my mind.”

His return could be a major boost for Colorado, especially given the difficult path through the Western Conference. This is Landeskog’s 13th season as a captain, with only Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin serving as leaders of their current teams for a longer span.

“(Leadership) has to play a small role. But the decision has to be mainly on what he can do for us on the ice,” Bednar explained. “I do think you have to take everything into account when you talk about putting him in the lineup.”

Landeskog’s injury dates back to the 2020 “bubble” season when he was accidentally sliced above the knee by the skate of Makar in a playoff game against Dallas. Landeskog eventually underwent a cartilage transplant procedure on May 10, 2023, and has been on long-term injured reserve.

The procedure was similar to the one performed on Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball in March 2023. Ball returned to the court for a preseason game in October, which hinted at a possible timeline for Landeskog’s return.

Landeskog’s comeback was chronicled in a documentary series called “A Clean Sheet: Gabe Landeskog.”

“I wanted to show the human side of it, the tough times,” Landeskog explained. "It’s real. It’s raw. It’s vulnerable.”

AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

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FILE - Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) lifts the Stanley Cup after the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, file)

FILE - Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) skates during the second period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s central bank on Thursday raised its key interest rate for the first time in more than three years, aiming to tighten money supply to combat inflation worsened by the intensifying war in the Middle East and slow the growth of the country’s high household debt.

Following a monetary policy meeting, the Bank of Korea raised its benchmark policy rate by a quarter percentage point from 2.5% to 2.75% in the first hike since January 2023.

The bank had kept rates steady or lowered them in recent years despite concerns about soaring household debt and real estate prices, prioritizing support for the country’s trade-dependent economy in the face of geopolitical turmoil and U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff hikes.

But policymakers now see room to increase borrowing costs with the economy performing better than expected, thanks to robust semiconductor exports driven by the global boom in artificial intelligence spending. The government on Tuesday raised the country’s 2026 growth outlook to 3%, which would be the highest annual growth rate since 2021.

Consumer price inflation exceeded 3% in both May and June, above the bank’s 2% target, driven by higher energy costs stemming from the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran and the weakness of the Korean won, which analysts attribute to the country’s dependence on imported energy and foreign capital flows.

There’s also concern about rising household debt, with higher real estate prices in Seoul and surrounding metropolitan areas and a rally in technology stocks fueling borrowing.

Despite the country’s chip-driven growth, the job market continues to be sluggish, particularly in manufacturing and sectors such as chemicals and energy, which have been hurt by disruptions linked to the war in the Middle East.

Bank of Korea Governor Shin Hyun Song said all seven members of the bank’s monetary policy committee supported raising the benchmark rate, saying it was necessary given trends in “all three aspects of growth, consumer prices and financial stability.”

“Inflation is expected to remain above the target level for a considerable period, and risks to financial stability also persist,” Shin said in a news conference, referring to the rising real estate prices, household debt and volatility in currency markets.

He said there was a need to raise borrowing costs further and that the “timing and pace of any additional rate hikes would depend on incoming data,“ while downplaying concerns that the bank’s policy could conflict with the government’s plans to increase spending to support the economy.

Thursday’s rate hike was widely expected after Shin said at the bank’s May policy meeting that interest rates should be raised at an “appropriate time.”

Bank of Korea Gov. Shin Hyun Song speaks during a press conference at the central bank in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Bank of Korea Gov. Shin Hyun Song speaks during a press conference at the central bank in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)