Colorado Avalanche Prospects Tyson Jost and Will Butcher Will Face-off in NCHC Conference Semifinals

On Friday night, Colorado Avalanche prospects Tyson Jost and Will Butcher will play against one another in an important NCHC Conference semifinal game.

The Denver Pioneers and University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks are set to face off, and Colorado Avalanche fans wanting to get a glimpse of two prospects emerging in their ranks should certainly watch the game.

You see, freshman phenom Tyson Jost, and senior NCHC player of the year, Will Butcher, will play in the Conference semifininals on Friday night at 6:30 pm MST.

Will Butcher was just named player of the year, and man did he deserve the honors. He was also named offensive defenseman of the year, and was named a Hobey Baker Award Finalist.

Meanwhile, Tyson Jost didn’t take home any hardware with him. However, he is a finalist for the NCHC play of the year.

In case you haven’t seen the play in question yet, this is the ridiculous goal he scored:

This game will be an amazing game to watch. It’s an important game for both teams, as they try and get a better ranking for the NCAA tournament.

If DU wins this semifinal game, and then the championship game, then they will be the No.1 seed in the tournament.

If UND is able to win this game, then win the Championship, which would be some serious upsets, they could improve their seeding tremendously.

The point is, both teams have a lot on the line, so it should be a good opportunity to see what both prospects can bring when under pressure.

The Colorado Avalanche Better Plan on Offering Will Butcher a Contract

If the Colorado Avalanche do not offer Will Butcher a contract after the conclusion of his senior year, then I would be shocked.

As was mentioned, he was just named the NCHC player of the year. Butcher was also just named the offensive defenseman of the year. And, he is one of just ten Hobey Baker Award finalists.

That alone should solidify his odds of being offered a contract, but the Avs indicated last year that they had no intention of signing him. Hopefully that intent has changed over the course of this year. More on that below:

Related Story: Avs Need to Sign Will Butcher

For a team desperately in need of defensive depth, Butcher should be a no brainer. The Avs own his rights until August 15th, so hopefully they sign him before then.

However, at this point, he also has to want to sign with the Avs. He could instead choose to go the route of Jimmy Vesey, and there would certainly be a lot of suitors interested in his services.

That might be something Butcher considers doing since the Avs have shown such little interest in signing him. Hopefully the Avs are able to get a deal done though.

Tyson Jost is Important Part of Avalanche Future Down the Middle

Tyson Jost is having an incredible year as a freshman. He has 15 goals and 31 points in 30 games, and he’s steadily gotten better as the year has gone on.

He will be an important part of the future for the Avs down the middle. That is especially true if the Avs find a way to trade Matt Duchene this summer.

More From Mile High Sticking: Duchy’s Post-Drought Cellies

Both Duchy and Josty are of similar size and prowess. They can both score, and both play real tough along the boards behind the net. However, Jost is a much better defensive player, or at least projects to be at the next level.

So, if the Avs are able to trade Duchene for that top-flight defenseman they’ve desperately been seeking, then Jost will be a good replacement.

Unfortunately, he may not come to the NHL as soon as next season, he may instead choose to stay two years at UND.

Related Story: Avs Need Tyson Jost to Turn Pro

I’m sure that Joe Sakic and the rest of management will be talking to Jost after his season is over. However, the decision to turn pro or stay in college is ultimately up to him.

Conclusion

There are bound to be Colorado Avalanche representatives at the game in Minneapolis’ Target Center.

This is probably one of the better chances they will get to watch two of their up and coming prospects play in an extremely high pressure game.

Next: Ranking the Best and Worst Avs Moments in Joe Louis Arena

I, unfortunately, have to work tonight, so I can’t watch the game. However, if you’re interested in watching the game on TV, then tune in to the CBS Sports Network at 6:30 pm MST on Friday night.

The Championship game will be played at 6:30 pm MST on Saturday night, on the same channel.

Both Jost and Butcher will play important roles in their respective teams’ outcome on Friday night.