Tyson Jost

Jost had seven goals, 25 points, 34 PIM and 61 hits in 71 contests between Minnesota and Buffalo last season. He started the campaign with the Wild but was put on waivers Nov. 18 and subsequently claimed by the Sabres. The fact that Minnesota waived him speaks volumes about his perceived value and, even on the Sabres, he served strictly in a bottom-six capacity while receiving next to no power-play ice time. Looking ahead, Jost is likely to be a depth forward in Buffalo and occasionally serve as a healthy scratch. He at least contributes a bit offensively, even with limited use, so the 25-year-old reaching the 20-point milestone for the sixth time in seven years is a distinct possibility.

The No. 10 overall pick of the Avalanche in 2016, Jost never found his way with the club before finally being dealt to Minnesota in exchange for Nico Sturm this past March. Jost played 80 games combined between the two teams last season, managing eight goals and 20 points, numbers right in line with what we have come to expect from him. Jost is still just 24 years old, but there's no evidence thus far that any sort of breakthrough is forthcoming. Look elsewhere on draft day.

Jost put together a decent finish to an otherwise non-descript regular season in 2020-21, amassing a five-game point streak in mid-April and scoring four times in his final six contests in May. The 23-year-old has offensive pedigree - he was a first-round pick of the Avalanche in 2016 and averaged better than a point per game in his lone season at the University of North Dakota - but that hasn't translated at the NHL level outside of his late-season surge last year. Jost has yet to top 12 goals or 26 points in a season, he doesn't play on the power play, and he's buried behind Nathan MacKinnon and Nazem Kadri at center. Jost is likely ticketed for more bottom-six duties in 2021-22 and likely won't help fantasy managers without earning a larger role.

Jost topped the 20-point mark for the third straight year in 2019-20, generating eight goals and 15 assists in 67 games. A first-round pick from 2016, there's still a chance Jost has a breakout campaign at some point over the next few years. That will be a tall task in 2020-21, however, as he's projected to again fill a bottom-six role for the Avalanche, but he's shown that he can produce at least 20 points even with a shortened 56-game campaign ahead. Jost isn't known for his physicality, so fantasy managers in standard formats may have a tough time justifying a roster spot for the 22-year-old forward.

Any time a player receives man-advantage minutes right out of the gate, it's worth checking to see what he's all about. Jost fits the mold as an opportunistic pivot who gets to shadow elite forwards Nathan Mackinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. Just 21 years old, Jost's power-play chances should remain plentiful as he embarks on his third full season. He's tallied 49 career points (24 goals, 25 assists) through 141 games, despite averaging only 13:52 of ice time, and over 25 percent of that total stems from his power-play output. The Avalanche struck a deal with Toronto during the offseason to acquire a proven goal-scorer in Nazem Kadri. He'll presumably block Jost's path to a top-six role, but the phenom should still be worthy of a roster spot in countless fantasy leagues due to his significant offensive upside.

Jost elected to leave North Dakota following his freshman season, ultimately finishing the campaign with a brief taste of the NHL in 2016-17. He remained with the Avalanche for most of the 2017-18 campaign, playing 65 games and just five in the minors on rehab. Although the 2016 10th-overall pick didn't explode onto the scene as a rookie, he did post a palatable 22 points -- 12 goals and 10 assists -- on 113 shots on goal and a 10.6 shooting percentage. Another offseason should allow the 20-year-old to grow into his role in a grouping of forwards that collectively rank among the youngest units in the NHL. Much like Mikko Rantanen last season, Jost should have a chance to break out in his second full campaign. He won't be positioned alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog to facilitate that growth, but additional contests should improve his counting stats in 2018-19.

Jost got his first taste of the NHL last season, recording one goal in six games. The 10th overall pick in the 2016 draft will have a much larger burden to bear this time around, as he’s the favorite to open as the second-line center behind Matt Duchene. Jost is a gifted scorer and playmaker, but the adjustment to playing at the NHL level doesn't come easily for most 19-year-olds. Given his inexperience and Colorado’s dreadful performance last season, it’s fair to expect some growing pains, but this definitely a name to file away for future seasons.