Tyson Jost is back in familiar territory, at least on the organizational side of things.
The former Colorado Avalanche first-round pick has signed a Professional Tryout Agreement with the Nashville Predators, giving him a chance to earn a spot when training camp opens. It also puts him back in the orbit of Chris MacFarland, who was an assistant general manager in Colorado during Jost’s time there and is now Nashville’s general manager and president of hockey operations.
For Jost, it’s the latest stop in a career that has kept moving since the Avalanche took him 10th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. He spent more than five seasons with Colorado and became a steady part of the roster, skating in 321 games and putting up 45 goals and 58 assists for 103 points before being moved at the 2021-22 trade deadline.
That deal came to be tied to Colorado’s eventual championship in a way that still stands out. Jost was sent away, while Sturm became a useful part of the Avalanche’s bottom six during the postseason, playing in 13 playoff games and finishing with four points. The depth he provided proved valuable over the course of the run.
Jost’s path after leaving Colorado has included time with Minnesota, Buffalo and Carolina before landing with Nashville. The Predators claimed him off waivers in October, and he turned that opportunity into a solid season, appearing in 69 games and finishing with eight goals and eight assists.
Now he’s back in camp mode with another shot to stick.
His NHL résumé is already substantial: 564 regular-season games, 74 goals and 177 points. The scoring totals never matched the expectations that came with being a first-round pick, but Jost has stayed in the league by doing the other things teams need - bringing versatility, work ethic and a willingness to fill a supporting role.
A PTO doesn’t lock anything in. It just gives him a runway. Jost will have to make his case in camp and preseason action if he wants a contract before the regular season begins.
That’s been the story of his career for a while now: keep moving, keep adjusting, keep earning the next chance.
The Avalanche chapter will always matter because of the 2016 draft and the years he spent developing in Colorado. But the most unusual link may be the trade that sent him out just before the franchise won its third Stanley Cup.
Colorado got a championship contributor in return. Jost got a reset.
Now he’s trying to make the most of another one.
In Other News...
Avalanche Suddenly Have A Win-Now Decision With A Proven Scorer
Chris Kreider is back on the market, and the timing immediately puts the Avalanche in a familiar kind of spotlight. After mutually terminating his deal with the Ducks, the veteran scorer is headed toward free agency, and while his preference has been to land with an East Coast club, Colorado is among the teams weighing whether to get involved. For an Avalanche team always balancing urgency against roster math, a player with Kreiders track record is the sort of name that forces a real conversation.
The challenge, of course, is fitting a proven finisher into a cap picture that does not leave much room for easy additions. Colorado is evaluating whether the structure of a possible deal could make sense, but any serious pursuit would ripple through the roster and force the front office to make choices about how far it wants to push for now. Kreider may have a preferred destination, yet the Avalanche are at least close enough to the front of the line to make this one worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Roster Watch Just Got More Interesting As Camp Nears
The NHL media tour is underway, and Gabe Landeskog is front and center for the Colorado Avalanche as camp creeps closer. It is the kind of late-summer stretch when roster chatter starts to matter again, and around the league there is already no shortage of storyline fodder, from contract talks to sudden openings created by moves elsewhere.
Quinn Hughes added another wrinkle by saying he is not feeling pressure to rush his negotiations with the Minnesota Wild, while Chris Kreider is back on the market after mutually ending his deal with the Anaheim Ducks. Kreider is said to be looking toward an Eastern destination, with his old team in New York not seen as a likely landing spot, and those kinds of twists are the sort that can keep an Avalanche watch list a little more crowded than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Ilya Nabokov Could Force A Fast Avalanche Goalie Shakeup
Ilya Nabokov has become a name to watch in Colorados goaltending picture, and not just because of his long-term upside. The 23-year-old prospect is now in the conversation as a player who could put real pressure on the Avalanches current setup, with Scott Wedgewood and MacKenzie Blackwood already part of a situation that is tied closely to performance, roster planning and cap management.
For a team trying to keep its books and its crease in order, Nabokovs progress matters on multiple fronts. If he pushes hard enough for an NHL job, the Avalanche may have to make some quick decisions about how they want their goaltending depth arranged, and whether the current mix can survive a strong enough showing from a young prospect who is starting to look like more than just a future option. [Read more 🡒]