Jost determined to land roster spot with Avalanche

DENVER -- Center Tyson Jost isn't one to take anything for granted, and that includes beginning this season with the Colorado Avalanche.
That's why the No. 10 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft spent two months in Colorado starting in late May to work out on and off the ice before heading to Kelowna, British Columbia, to continue his offseason regimen.

"My goal this year is to be in the NHL and to be an impact player with the [Avalanche]," Jost, 19, said at Avalanche development camp last month. "To be able to do that, I have to have a big summer and I think I'm heading in the right direction. Working out at elevation, it's a lot tougher. I wanted to be [at development camp last month]. I'm always looking for ways to get better.
"I thought it was great for me and [the Avalanche] thought it was great for me too," he said. "It's all about development and I just want to get better and better, and be the best player I can be. It's awesome, it was a good choice."
Jost (5-foot-11, 191 pounds) signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Avalanche on March 29 after completing his freshman season at the University of North Dakota, which lost to Boston University in the NCAA championship. Jost had 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) in 33 games.
Jost played in the Avalanche's final six games. He made his NHL debut March 31 against the St. Louis Blues and got his only point when he scored a goal April 6 at home against the Minnesota Wild.

"Those six games I got at the end of the year were really big for me," he said. "I know what I need to work on and it starts with explosiveness and just little things."
He said the experience showed that he can play at the NHL level but also helped him identify the parts of his game he needed to improve this offseason. Strength was one of them, so he has been working with Avalanche strength and conditioning coach Casey Bond.
"There are a lot bigger guys," Jost said. "You're going against some big [defensemen] and some big centers. I want to be playing center and winning faceoffs. And I take a lot of pride in the defensive side of things. Those are two things I can really bear down on this summer, come into camp and feel good about it."
Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic plans to have a younger and faster team than the one that finished last in the League with 48 points last season, and Jost is expected to play a major role.
Just don't tell him that.
"I know I need to earn a spot," Jost said. "That's why I'm going to keep working hard and work my way into the lineup. That's where I want to be, with the Avs. … I want to help them move in the right direction and be an impact player. I have to have a big summer and earn that spot.
"That's just how I was raised. My mom being a single mom, we had to fight for everything we wanted and we had to earn a lot of things. I've talked about my mom before, and she's a big part of it. I was taught that nothing's given to you in life, that you have to earn everything you deserve. I just bring that forward to the hockey side of things and keep working hard.
"Nothing's a guarantee in life."