Landeskog, Sakic have plenty in common

Legendary hockey reporter and analyst Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler, known as "The Hockey Maven," shares his humor and insight with readers each Wednesday.
This week's edition compares Colorado Avalanche Hall of Famer Joe Sakic, their captain from 1992-93, when the team was based in Quebec, through 2008-09 and now the team's general manager, with current Avalanche captain and forward Gabriel Landeskog.

One is captain of the Colorado Avalanche.
One was captain of the Colorado Avalanche.
Gabriel Landeskog and
Joe Sakic
have a lot in common, apart from each having worn the "C" on his burgundy-and-blue jersey. Their leadership qualities -- cool, calm, collected -- match up as virtually identical traits during different eras.
Sakic, the pride of Burnaby, British Columbia, excelled in the NHL for more than two decades with the Avalanche and Quebec Nordiques (before the move to Denver in 1995). Landeskog, now 27 and in his ninth NHL season, all with the Avalanche, has a lot of hockey left to play.
One difference is that Sakic keyed Colorado's runs to the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001 on his way to induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. These days, he has the luxury of enjoying Landeskog's skills and leadership from the general manager's office. He'd love to see Landeskog join him in having the chance to hoist the Cup
Without question Sakic has been acknowledged as one of the greatest leaders in NHL history -- and with 625 goals, he was among the NHL's most feared marksmen.

"Joe could do just about anything offensively," said Bill Torrey, the general manager of the four-time Stanley Cup-winning New York Islanders. "And he could do it smoothly with special ease."
Landeskog can learn from his boss' 21-year NHL career, which began in Quebec in 1988, ended in Colorado in 2009 and was marked by one of the best wrist shots in hockey history. During that time, the Hockey Hall of Famer had two 50-goal seasons and reached the 100-point mark six times. In addition to two Stanley Cup championships, he also won a gold medal playing for Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and helped his country finish first at the 1994 IIHF World Championship, making him a member of the Triple Gold Club.
Sakic also was voted as winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 1996 and the Hart Trophy in 2000-01. He played in 13 NHL All-Star Games, and in 2017 was voted to the 100 Greatest NHL Players.
Landeskog doesn't have that kind of resume, but he's helped turn Colorado into one of the NHL's up-and-coming teams, one that has a good chance to win another Stanley Cup championship in the near future.
"I'm never going to be satisfied until I win that last game of the year," the Stockholm native told Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News. "Last season we felt we really could do some damage."
Those hopes were curtailed when the San Jose Sharks knocked the Avalanche out of the playoffs by winning Game 7 in the Western Conference Second Round.
Sakic went through his own adversity after the Nordiques took him with the 15th pick in the 1987 NHL Draft. The Nordiques were struggling to keep a foothold in Quebec, a province long dominated by the Montreal Canadiens. Sakic and the Nordiques struggled for several years, but were on the upswing in 1994 and 1995 before the franchise moved to Denver. The renamed Avalanche won the Stanley Cup twice in the next six seasons.
"What's amazing about Joe," Detroit Red Wings executive vice president Jim Devellano said, "is that he wasn't that powerful physically. He wasn't that big a guy but his skill level enabled him to compete with and beat larger opponents."

Landeskog, a power forward who was 19 when he was named captain in 2012, is looking for the same kind of success. He's already gone through some of the same kind of struggles that Sakic endured; in 2016-17, Colorado finished last in the NHL with 48 points.
"It was tough," Landeskog said, "but at the same time, when I look back at those bleak days it makes me appreciate the good times that followed."
The Avalanche rebounded to make the playoffs in 2017-18. They qualified again last season and eliminated the Calgary Flames, the top finisher in the Western Conference, in the first round before coming up one win short against San Jose.
The good news going forward is that the Avalanche have one of the NHL's most dynamic lines, with Landeskog on left wing, Nathan MacKinnon in the middle and Mikko Rantanen on right wing.
"Our line has given us quite a boost," said Landeskog, whose leadership has been as important as his on-ice production
"He sets the tone for what we want to do on the ice," coach Jared Bednar said. "Our guys follow that."
Center J.T. Compher agrees.
"Gabe leads by example, and that includes a high compete level in every one of his games," he said. "When it comes to dealing with the rookies, he has the perfect touch; he shows courtesy and young players respect that."
Landeskog was third on the Avalanche last season with 75 points (34 goals, 41 assists) in 73 games, trailing only linemates MacKinnon and Rantanen. But Compher said statistics tell only part of the story.
"In addition to the numbers," he said, "it's important to remember that we look to Gabe as a voice of reason."
Landeskog knows all about his boss' feats, especially how Sakic spearheaded Colorado's first Stanley Cup championship with 34 points (18 goals, 16 assists) in 22 games. He also knows that Sakic has mastered the art of putting together a contender.
"Joe has been doing what needs to be done to make this team better and in a position to win a Stanley Cup," Landeskog said.
Landeskog has his own role; he told Kennedy that one of his jobs in the captain's role is promoting the NHL city he calls home.
"Everybody has a role to fill in talking about the team and making sure people know how awesome it is in Denver," he said. "We share the limelight with the Broncos, Nuggets, Rockies and (Major League Soccer) Rapids. It's a great sports town."
It will be even greater if Landeskog can do what his general manager did twice -- bring the Stanley Cup to Denver.