With preseason already well under way, the Colorado Avalanche still have a couple of question marks on their roster. Will Matt Duchene be traded? Will Tyson Jost make the opening night roster? These two questions are directly related though. If Duchene is traded, there’s more than a good chance that Jost will not only make the opening night roster, but will be heavily relied upon as a centre for the team.

A previous THW article had Jost making the roster regardless of a Duchene trade, albeit in a sheltered role. It’s likely that Jost will be on the team, in addition to watching these players, fans should also keep an eye on Colorado’s next big thing, Jost.

What Happened Last Season

It became a chore to watch the Avalanche play hockey last year, so it would be easy to forget that Jost actually was called to play with the big club. After leaving the University of North Dakota to sign with the Avalanche, Jost made his NHL against the St. Louis Blues. He then went on to play another five games with the team. Despite only scoring one goal during his six game stint, Jost left many fans hopeful of what he can do in the future.

When Jost was drafted tenth overall in the 2016 draft, scouts touted his as a player with excellent vision with a lot of energy. He was compared to players such as Jeff Carter and Jonathan Toews, so expectations would be high right off the bat.

Colorado selects Tyson Jost. Played well at every tournament and level. Great skater and playmaker who can be effective at both ends.

— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) June 25, 2016

“[Jost is] probably more of a complete player than I was at the same age,” Avalanche general manager, Joe Sakic, said after Jost was drafted. “He plays both ends, a 200-foot game. He can score goals, he’s got great vision. His compete level all over the ice is what everybody’s going to be excited about.”

Fifteen months later, Jost has some high expectations to meet, and great chance to make the team. Jost didn’t practice until September 22, due to a groin injury, but with his preseason debut in the books, fans got a good look at what he can do at the NHL level, and what they can expect to see over an 82-game season.

The Year of Dreams, Hopefully

Jost finally came back from his injury and made his preseason debut versus the Minnesota Wild on Monday, September 24. Jost assisted on one of the goals in a 5-1 victory, and he was keen on getting back from his injury.

Tyson Jost (Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports)

“We wanted to be smart about it,” Jost told the Denver Post after the game. “I was itching to get back on the ice, and not miss training camp. I was knocking down their door every morning, trying to convince them to let me out. But that’s one thing I have to learn about being a pro — it’s a long season. They did a great job with it, and I’m happy to get back on the ice.”

The real question now is where will he play, or more importantly, who will he play with. With the right linemates, and match ups, Jost can have a very successful season.

The roster prediction article, had him playing with Colin Wilson and JT Compher. Wilson is a defensively responsible forward that can also chip in offensively, therefore he’s the perfect partner to give Jost enough room to take chances offensively.

With just over a week to go until the regular season starts, Jost is one step to closer to being on the opening night roster as he wasn’t one of the 13 players the Avalanche cut from their training camp squad, so we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the months to come.