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Slow, steady progress for Jost |
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Rick Sadowski
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Anyone who expected Tyson Jost to be piling up points at this stage in his brief NHL career has to be disappointed, but the 19-year-old rookie and Avalanche coach Jared Bednar seem relatively pleased with his progress.
"I think he's starting to do some good things," Bednar said. "He's a 200-foot player, he's not going to wow you with flash and dash, but he does a lot of good things both offensively and defensively. He's starting to chip in a little bit offensively. Hopefully it will continue."
The Avalanche's first-round pick (No. 10) in the 2016 NHL draft, Jost has had a tough time up to now with four points (two goals, two assists) in 18 games heading into Saturday's game in Arizona.
Jost sustained a groin injury during the rookie showcase tournament in San Jose before training camp, missed the first three preseason games while recovering, and missed 10 of the first 16 regular-season games -- two with a leg injury and eight with a lower-body injury.
Jost was assigned to San Antonio on Nov. 16 for conditioning purposes, and he had a goal and an assist in five games with the Rampage before being recalled Nov. 26.
He didn't have a point in seven games after returning, collected a goal Dec. 12 in Washington and an assist Dec. 14 against Florida. He has since gone three games without a point; he had one shot on goal Thursday in the Avalanche's 2-1 overtime loss in Los Angeles while playing 10:14, three minutes below his season average.
"I don't want to sit here and just talk about my injuries, but it sucked; you're out for a month," Jost said. "You work all summer to try and make an impact coming here and then you get hurt and you're out for a month, so it's tough. I'm past that, I'm moving forward and I'm not using it as an excuse anymore."
Jost spent a good chunk of the offseason in Colorado working with Avalanche strength and conditioning coach Casey Bond, and he took part in development camp with the team's 2017 draft picks and other prospects.
"I'm never satisfied," he said. "I always want more from myself. I expect more."
Jost has been a prolific scorer, collecting 42 goals and 104 points for Penticton of the BCHL in 2015-16, and 16 goals and 35 points in 33 games as a freshman at the University of North Dakota last year. He had a goal and four points in seven games to help Canada win the silver medal at the 2017 World Junior Championships.
He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Avalanche in late March and played six games, scoring his first NHL goal April 6 against Minnesota at the Pepsi Center.
Jost said he has no regrets about leaving school early and is determined to keep improving and to help the Avalanche become relevant again.
"I kind of thrive on pressure," he said of his first-round status. "I worked hard to be in this position and I want to have that pressure, you'd be silly not to. Every player wants to produce offensively, but at the same time it means a lot when the coaches are going to trust you to throw you out there when it's in the D-zone or for a D-zone draw. It definitely helps when you can play that 200-foot game.
"These last couple games I've been working hard to move my feet, play with pace and get back into my groove. I just have to keep that up. When that happens the puck's going to follow you. I think I'm creating more offense, having more O-zone time. Playing defense is one of my skills. I'm doing that and I'm getting more shots."
Jost has played at center, his natural position, and on the wing. He's also skated with a variety of linemates, most recently with fellow rookie Alexander Kerfoot and Nail Yakupov.
"It's fun when you're playing with pace and you're skating, slapping the puck around," he said. "Lately it's been juggled a little bit, playing with different players, but that's fun too. Just looking to keep getting better."
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