Jost will hit free agency this summer. Should the Sabres re-sign him?
Total Season Stats: 3-3-6 in 43 NHL games; 4-10-14 in 25 AHL games
Age: 26
Contract Status: Unrestricted free agent
Tyson Jost is likely in need of a new NHL home this offseason, set to become an unrestricted free agent following an up-and-down season split between Buffalo and Rochester.
Jost struggled to secure an NHL roster spot early in the season. Although he wasn’t necessarily playing bad, he was easily the odd man out when push came to shove, and that’s how he ended up in Rochester for much of the season. After playing in the NHL from October to December, he was placed on waivers and assigned to the Amerks after going unclaimed. He had just four points at the time of reassignment.
The move to Rochester seemed to help. Jost found consistent playing time on Rochester’s second line, with a few promotions to the team’s top line. He played alongside other young promising prospects like Isak Rosén and Jiří Kulich, Tyson Kozak, Viktor Neuchev and Brett Murray. They helped elevate one another’s game, and Jost put up 14 points in just 25 games.
The AHL stint likely boosted Jost’s confidence, but it also served to boost Buffalo’s opinion of him, as he earned an NHL recall in March and would stay in the big league the remainder of the season. He finished the season with points in the last two games.
At this point, it seems highly unlikely that the Sabres will re-sign Jost, unless their plan is to send him back to Rochester. NHL roster spots are already so far & few between, and Jost’s performance last season won’t likely land him an NHL spot this year. However, if he isn’t able to secure another NHL offer from a team, I wouldn’t be mad if he did end up in Rochester, where he could continue to skate with some of the younger players in the organization and help them grow their game. I don’t think we’ve seen him hit his full potential yet, but the former 10th-overall pick in 2016 hasn’t completely fallen off the map, either.
If nothing else, at least we’ll always have this fun video, which is good for a laugh or two:
Season Grade: C