Colorado Avalanche: The Pros and Cons of Tyson Jost Signing

Tyson Jost played pretty well in his debut, and didn’t look out of place for the Colorado Avalanche; however, there are some cons of him choosing to sign with the team.

Tyson Jost definitely has a bright future as a first or second line pivot for the Colorado Avalanche, but there are still some pitfalls to him signing after one season of college hockey.

First of all, it must be noted that Jost is the first player to leave the University of North Dakota after one season since Ed Belfour did it after his 1986-87 season.

That just goes to show that UND has an outstanding hockey development program, and most NHL prospects take advantage of it. Even Jonathan Toews, Jost’s self-proclaimed hockey idol — drafted No. 3 overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2006 — stayed for two years.

However, Jost wanted to play in the NHL, and when that dream was staring him directly in the face, he was unable to resist the opportunity.

I don’t want to make it seem like it was the wrong choice because there are definitely some positives. However, I was all for him staying for one more developmental year at UND.

Let’s get down to the pros and cons — I’ll start with the pros.

The Pros of Tyson Jost Signing with the Avalanche “Early”

For one, he signed when the Colorado Avalanche only had six games remaining in their season, so his entry-level contract (ELC) won’t start this season because he won’t play 10 games.

That’s a pro because the Avs get a chance to look at his ability to play in the NHL without running the risk of burning a year of his ELC.

If he’s up to snuff, then he’ll likely make the team out of training camp next season. If he’s not, then he’ll at least start the year in the AHL. No harm done there.

Another pro to the situation is that the Avalanche have no chance of making the playoffs, so they can utilize Jost in many different situations without worrying about the result of the contest.

That was evident on Friday night when Jost received time on both specialty teams units, and even received an opportunity to take a shootout chance.

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Another pro for the Avalanche is that they have the opportunity to use Jost on many different lines, and in many different positions, to see where he performs the best.

On Friday night, he showed why he is touted as such an exceptional two-way center. He won five out of the 10 face-offs he took. And, he played wonderful possession hockey too, as he registered a Corsi-for percentage of 54.2 percent.

However, if the Avs are smart, they’ll also see what he can do on the wing. They will also put him in difficult situations to see how he performs. For example, he started 75 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone on Friday night, why not see how he handles some defensive zone starts?

The pros of Jost signing early are basically that the Avs get an opportunity to see what he is capable of at the NHL level. In order to take advantage of that, they need to throw him in the fire and see how he handles it.

The Cons of Tyson Jost Signing with the Avalanche “Early”

The No.1 con, to my estimation, is that the Jost skipped out on one of the best development programs in the country.

The UND hockey program has been developing prospects for years, and many of them are today’s top names in the sport. T.J. Oshie, Jonathan Toews and Zach Parise are just three of those names.

But you’re saying: “the Avs can develop Tyson Jost too, so what’s the big deal?”

Can they? I’m not so sure. So far this season, the Avs have not shown that they are the best at developing prospects.

Now, a prospect like Jost should technically be gifted enough to somewhat develop himself. However, if he doesn’t receive the proper support system in Colorado, then he could hit a developmental wall.

I’m not saying that’s going to happen, but Jost had a great developmental program in North Dakota, and he left it earlier than anyone has in 30 years.

Another con is that the Avalanche are god-awful this season, and will likely be bad next season as well. Is it really beneficial for a prospect to be a part of that losing culture?

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Perhaps Jost will be able to make an impact on the rebuild process. However, you want a prospect of his talent to join a team that is at least competing for a playoff spot.

The pros are all in the Avs’ favor, but the cons are all possible detriments to the growth of Tyson Jost. That’s not something that should be easily forgotten.

Conclusion

At this point, the pros seem to outweigh the cons, and I’m sure that’s why Jost decided now was the time to sign. However, that does not mean that it was the right decision.

Personally, I would have rather seen Jost join the Avalanche after he was unquestionably ready to make an impact at the NHL level.

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Right now, that is still unclear. Luckily, the Avs have the opportunity to test Jost’s mettle before next season. Hopefully he’ll prove that he is ready for NHL action, and that he can make an impact in the top six.

If he does, then he made the right decision, if he doesn’t then hopefully the Avs are able to ice a better AHL team next year.

On another note, five games remain for the Colorado Avalanche. So, get to watching because the six month hiatus from Avs’ hockey is coming on swift winds.

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