Things have been pretty bleak for the Colorado Avalanche this season, but at least they can look to a high pick in the next draft ... and maybe dream about how their top pick from 2016 may pan out.
The Avs signed Tyson Jost, the 10th pick of the 2016 NHL Draft, to an entry-level contract on Wednesday. Colorado notes that he’ll jump right into some NHL action to close out this season.
It’s a nice sneak preview, as NHL insider Bob McKenzie noted on an NBCSN appearance (see above) that doing so will not burn the first year of Jost’s entry-level contract. Nice.
Even nicer? McKenzie also compares Jost favorably to ... (drum-roll, though the headline spoiled it) Jonathan Toews.
Most obviously, the two both starred at the University of North Dakota. For the sake of fun, here are their numbers in their final years in the NCAA:
Jost: 16 goals, 35 points in 33 games, +17 rating (2016-17)
Toews: 18 goals, 46 points in 34 games (2006-07)
Naturally, Toews enthusiasts in particular will tell you that points aren’t everything ... but maybe there are some shades of the two-way Blackhawks center there?
The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy raved that Jost has “man-strength already” back around the 2016 NHL Draft, as you can see in this profile.
“Jost oozes confidence and already looks like NHL captain material for the future.”
Hey, that does sound at least somewhat Toews-like, doesn’t it?
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In other signing news, the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington reports that the Buffalo Sabres signed UMass-Lowell’s CJ Smith. More on that below.
Report: #Sabres signing UMass-Lowell scoring star CJ Smith to FA contract. https://t.co/NYHPyWkVKS
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) March 29, 2017