The Canadiens have a plethora of players with some NHL potential in the minors. Unfortunately, most of the prospect pool in the minors, with the possible exceptions of Charles Hudon and Nikita Scherbak, lack high end offensive ability. With the 9th pick, the Canadiens might have the opportunity to remedy that lack with Tyson Jost.
About the only knock on Jost is that he plays in the BC Hockey League and not the WHL. With the Penticton Vees, Jost showcased his leadership ability as their captain (and captain of Canada at the Under-18’s) while demonstrating his offensive skills with 42 goals and 62 assists in 48 regular season games with another six goals and eight assists in 11 playoff contests. As a result of his outstanding season, he was named the BCHL’s Most Valuable Player, the Canadian Junior Hockey League MVP, and CJHL National Player of the Year. He could be a very good pick at 9th overall as the Canadiens covet players with character and need players with offensive skills.
Bio
Centre/Left Wing
DOB: March 14, 1998 – St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
Height: 5’11
Weight 190 lbs
Rankings
CSB: 16 (North American Skaters)
ISS: 9th
TSN-McKenzie: 11
TSN-Button: 13
ESPN: 9th
McKeens: 15
Hockey News: 14
Future Considerations: 13th
Statistics
Scouting Report
Scouts describe Jost as an agile and elusive skater with a low centre of gravity and great balance who excels in carrying the puck. He also has a very hard shot. Although some have described him as ‘fleet’, Jost himself says that he really wants to improve his overall speed and acceleration. He has great hands and tries to play a defensively sound game although that is another area in which he needs work.
He has committed to North Dakota for next season, but his motivation in joining the Fighting Hawks is not primarily academic. Jost’s goals are to play in the NHL and win a Stanley Cup and he sees North Dakota as his best path to get there following the path of players like Jonathan Toews. The only real knock on his game seems to be that he played in the BCHL as he turned down the Everett Silvertips in order to maintain his college eligibility. When asked to describe himself in an interview with TSN, Jost replied: "Driven. That’s one thing that comes out about the person I am. I’m a driven individual." Given his immense improvement this season and dedication to hockey, Jost might just become the offensive star that Montreal fans have coveted for years.
Timeline
Jost turned 18 in March 2016 and has committed to North Dakota for next season so, it would not be a surprise if he did not make it to the NHL until the end or near the end of his college career. Given that he needs to add size and muscle to compete more effectively at the pro level and that he stated that he needs to improve his speed, it would seem that he is a minimum of two to three years away, longer if he was to play out his full NCAA eligibility.