University of North Dakota and 2016 Colorado Avalanche first rounder pick Tyson Jost has decided to leave the NCAA and UND and has signed a three year entry level contract deal with the Avs. He will be joining the team this week for the final leg of the season.
We have signed Tyson Jost! #GoAvsGo https://t.co/NDLR8lscwW
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 30, 2017
Tyson Jost Signs with the Colorado Avalanche; Will Play Remainder of Season
Jost, who was the tenth overall selection at the 2016 National Hockey League Entry Draft, played this season, his freshman one, at UND and tallied 35 points (16 goals and 19 assists), in 33 games played. Just last Saturday, the Fighting Hawks lost in double overtime to Boston University, thus eliminating them from the 2017 NCAA ice hockey tournament.
“We are excited to announce that Tyson has signed his entry-level contract and will be joining us for the rest of this season,” said Avalanche executive VP/GM Joe Sakic in a statement via USCHO.com. “Tyson is an all-around player. He competes, plays the game hard and is reliable at both ends of the ice. He just finished a strong year at North Dakota and we’re looking forward to seeing him in an Avalanche sweater.”
Since Jost will likely be arriving this week to play with the team, he will most likely play fewer than ten games, which makes his entry level contract move to next season, making it then expire at the end of the 2019-20 NHL season.
The 19 year old forward, who clocks in at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds will probably be making his debut this Friday, when the Avs host the St. Louis Blues.
Avalanche sign Tyson Jost. He will join the Avs likely this Friday, to start playing
— Adrian Dater (@adater) March 30, 2017
At the international level of play, Jost represented Team Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, which were held this past January in Montreal and Toronto. In the tournament, Jost scored one goal and three assists and helped Team Canada capture a silver medal.
The Avalanche are winding down a horrible season, having gone 20-52-3 in 75 games played with a total of 43 points. The team currently sits in last place in the entire NHL.
Scouting Report by Ben Kerr
Offensive Game
Tyson Jost has great hands, and the ability to stickhandle in a phone booth. Jost is an excellent playmaker. He protects the puck extremely well, and has the ability to extend plays, and allow a teammate to get open. Once that happens he has the ability to feather a pass through a small opening, putting it tape-to-tape to create a scoring chance. Jost can also be a a goal scorer. He also has a very quick release on his shot, which helps him to fool goalies. He could stand to add more power to his wrist shot though, and this may come with increased muscle. He is also willing to go to the net, where he can use his excellent hand-eye co-ordination to tip in pucks, or pounce on rebounds. Jost battles hard in front of the net and in the corners. This is another area where more muscle would help though, in order to be ready to play that game at higher levels. Jost also has very good hockey sense, and seems to almost always make the smart play with the puck.
Skating
Tyson Jost is an excellent skater. He is shifty with good acceleration, agility and edgework. Jost has the ability to full defenders with his ability to quickly change directions as wells his ability to change speeds. Jost has very good top end speed, and when he does get past a defender he can drive to the front of the net. His balance is decent, but this is another area that would improve with added core body strength.
Defensive Game
Jost shows commitment to back check, and provides good back pressure when defending against the rush. He reads the play well, and has good positioning which allows Jost to create turnovers, which he quickly transitions into offense. He supports his defence with a willingness to get involved physically in the corners or in front of the net.
Jost is a high-end talent, with the potential to become a top line player in the NHL, though it might be more likely that he settles in as a high-end second liner. Jost’s style compares well with a player like Patrice Bergeron, though this is a stylistic comparison only and not one based on talent.
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