The Avalanche are not masking their excitement for the eventual return of captain Gabe Landeskog.

“I don’t want to jinx anything,” forward Nathan MacKinnon said. “But he’s looking great.”

Landeskog has not played for the Avs since Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals. He underwent knee cartilage transplant surgery in May 2023 with an estimated recovery of 12-to-18 months. On Wednesday, the eve of Avs training camp, coach Jared Bednar would not provide a specific Landeskog return date.

“His timeline is when he says he’s ready to go,” Bednar said. “It’s kind of been the same for a while.”

But it appears Landeskog, 31, is trending toward a comeback at some point during the 2024-25 season.

“He’s doing everything that he can possibly do to get back on the ice and get ready to play. He’s certainly making a lot of big strides. There’s a lot of hope there,” Bednar said. “I know he’s been encouraged by the progress he’s made, as are we. But as far as putting a date (on his return), we’re just not going to do that.”

Landeskog did not join select teammates at The Inverness Denver hotel on Wednesday to preview the NHL season. But MacKinnon provided new details for how the Avalanche captain is progressing.

“It seems like this is the surgery he needed all along. It’s just a tough one to sign up for when you’re out for 12 to 18 months,” MacKinnon said. “He’s looking great and training the right way. He’s got some very, very smart people. I’m sure he’ll explain everything. But there’s a lot of data and things like that. It’s not just guessing. So, he’s on the right path and we definitely expect him back. Which is super, super exciting.”

Forward Jonathan Drouin added: “Just seeing him on the ice, the way he’s skating and progressing, that’s very good to see for us. Obviously, Gabe is the leader in that room. He’s a captain, and you can feel when he walks in a room, he’s got that presence. Even last year, having him around is good. … Seeing the progression of his workouts and his skating is definitely a plus for us.”

The biggest sign of Landeskog’s pending Avalanche comeback?

The team did not address his spot in the lineup via trade or free agency.

“Over the last couple of years, we’ve been able to go and replace (Landeskog). We’re expecting him back,” Bednar said. “So, we haven’t replaced him, because he’s going to be with us — hopefully.”

The Avalanche regular season begins on Oct. 9 at the Vegas Golden Knights.