Landeskog Pushes Back on NHL Trade-Demand Trend
The Avalanche captain says players should honor draft-team commitments until free agency, while acknowledging that leverage is reshaping player movement.
Gabriel Landeskog says NHL players generally should stay with the team that drafted them until they earn the right to become free agents.
Speaking with Sportsnet at the NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas, the Colorado Avalanche captain said a draft team makes a commitment to a player and that the player should honor it while under contract. Once free agency arrives, he said, choosing a new destination is the player's right.
Landeskog also acknowledged why players with leverage may feel empowered to direct their careers. He described the current environment as "kind of the Wild West" and said the sport is changing.
His comments came as trade requests involving prominent players with significant term remaining became one of the offseason's most discussed issues. Sportsnet cited several recent cases, but Landeskog kept his remarks general.
The Avalanche captain and 2026 Masterton Trophy winner is preparing for his 13th NHL season, all with Colorado.
