TYSON JOST
CENTER
5’11 & 189.5 LBS
LEFT HANDED

PENTICTON VEES, BCHL
48 GP, 42 GOALS AND 62 ASSISTS

FINAL RANKING ON NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING – 16 (NORTH AMERICAN SKATERS)

PLAYER COMPARISON: LOGAN COUTURE

PLAYER PROFILE

The Kelowna-native has a lot of tools that make him an interesting prospect. He’s well rounded in all facets of the game and plays a complete 200-foot game. He’s excellent at protecting the puck and slowing the play down in order to maximize possession for his team. He’s a superb skater who possesses great hockey sense that is completed with a great commitment to the defensive aspect of the game such as backchecking, putting pressure when defending on the rush and creating turnovers.

Tyson Jost will need at least a year in the NCAA if not more. It will largely depend on if his success with the Penticton Vees translates in a new league with an increased level of competition. He will be playing with two of the NCAA’s top players in Brock Boeser (Vancouver’s first round pick in 2015) and Nick Schmaltz (Chicago’s first round pick in 2014) so their line will form one of the best trios in the entire league. With that in mind, if has an outstanding season a la Kyle Connor (2015 draftee), I could see him turning pro the season after and make his NHL debut midway through the 2017-2017 campaign.

PROS

MOST COMPLETE PLAYER AT OUR RANGE

Jost doesn’t have any glaring flaw in his game. His hockey sense is great and so are his physical tools. He plays a 200 foot game and Jost is who Hockey Canada trusted to be their captain at the U18 tournament last spring. It’s a great sign that he’s produced everywhere he’s been and it demonstrates that he’s a legitimate prospect despite playing in a ‘weaker’ league.

ONE OF THE BETTER PLAYERS AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL THIS YEAR

Jost raised his stock and quieted his naysayers by impressing at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and the U18s. He surpassed his peers and was named the best forward of the tournament. He also beat Connor McDavid’s record, finishing with 15 points of the U18 tournament. That’s after pulling off a solid performance at the Hlinka Tournament where he shone and lead Team Canada to a gold medal with his three-goal performance in just four games.

CONS

PLAYS IN A ‘WEAK’ LEAGUE

Historically speaking, the BCHL has produced some quality names in the last two decades with the likes of Jamie Benn, Scott Gomez, Duncan Keith, Willie Mitchell, Brendan Morrison and Travis Zajac paying their dues in the British Columbian league before becoming the NHLers that we now know. That being said, it pales in comparison to the CHL and the US National program when it comes to producing NHL talent. The average CHL/USHL player is much better than the average player in the CHL, which obviously translates to a lower level of competition. This makes it very hard for scouts to evaluate how good a player truly is and how he would fare against the top players of his age group.

The one appeal that the league offers for prospects is that it’s the best alternative for players that want to go the college route but are not interested in being part of the USHL. That being said, Penticton happens to be the best program in the BCHL, so Jost is in good hands to develop properly.

WHL WOULD BE MORE PREFERABLE THAN THE NCAA

As of today, Jost is enrolled to join the University of North Dakota next season. Considering he isn’t one of those players who needs to bulk up (bench pressed 235 lbs at the combine), I think an argument could be made that it would more beneficial for him to play in the WHL over the NCAA. Jost has never played more than 50 games in a season as a result of playing in the BCHL and the BCMML. Although North Dakota is one of the better programs of the NCAA, the lack of games will remain a problem in his case. The Everett Silvertips currently hold his rights in the CHL and Kevin Constantine could help make him one of the top WHL players ; and we know how much Timmins loves his Silvertips players (our last two first round picks have played for Everett). That being said, Jost seems pretty dead set on joining North Dakota next season – based on this interview – so it will be hard to convince him to change his mind. With that in mind, it would be wise to not repeat the mistakes Montreal made with Louis Leblanc and make him switch back and forth between leagues (NCAA, QMJHL and finally AHL). A little stability is never a bad thing.

VERDICT

I believe Jost is one of the safest picks the Habs could make at ninth overall as he has a strong chance of becoming a solid second line center. Although he’s not elite in any aspect of the game, his hockey sense is simply too good for him to bust. I think the concerns regarding the league he’s played in are overblown and given his play at the international level against his peers, he’s shown that he’s a legitimate prospect. I would be extremely pleased if Trevor Timmins announces Jost’s name on June 24^th.