Jost sees the bright side of demotion to minors
LOVELAND» Avalanche forward Tyson Jost said Wednesday he has taken his demotion to the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles “with a grain of salt” and will return to the NHL club next week a better player.
Jost, who played 43 games with the Avs before being reassigned to their new AHL affiliate Jan. 17, has three goals and four points in six games with the Eagles. He said the Avalanche’s plan was for him to return to the NHL team after playing six AHL games, but he suffered an upperbody injury late in the sixth game and has spent the past week recovering. The Avs’ 2016 first-round draft pick (No. 10 overall) is now scheduled to play in this weekend’s two-game series against the visiting Stockton Heat before his expected call-up to the Avalanche, which concludes a three-game trip at Boston on Sunday.
“Those six games were good for me to go and play. I guess everything happens for a reason,” Jost, 20, said after the Eagles’ practice. “I got to take it with a grain of salt and just keeping working hard. That’s something I do anywhere I go. I want to better myself as a player. So it was nice to get a lot of ice, get puck touches, play on the power play and all that good stuff. It was just unfortunate that I got hurt in the last game.”
Jost and defenseman Conor Timmins — who also has been with the Avs most of the season, albeit on injured reserve — practiced in red non-contact sweaters Wednesday, a day after Timmins was reassigned to the EaPavel gles. The 32nd selection in the 2017 draft has battled concussion-like symptoms since last summer, but Wednesday might have been his first full team practice since last season.
Timmins, 20, is not yet speaking with the media.
Jost said he hopes to provide more offense when he begins his second stint with the Avs. He has just six goals and 15 points with the big club and was no longer part of the No. 1 power play before he was reassigned.
“Obviously, I want to bring some offense,” he said. “The Avs culture, we want to be winners. I just want to get back there and help the team get some wins, provide some offense and be responsible in the D zone. I just want to play the game like I know how.”
Frankie’s return.
Eagles goalie Francouz, an AHL all-star who goes by “Frankie,” will return to action Friday after missing the all-star game and last week’s series at Tucson with a groin injury. He and rookie forward Martin Kaut — the Avs’ 2018 first-round draft pick — attended the Avalanche’s 6-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday. Colorado lost its fourth straight game to fall to 2-8 in its last 10.
Footnotes.
The Avalanche recalled forward A.J. Greer and defenseman Anton Lindholm from the Eagles after practice Wednesday. … The Avs completed a minor-league trade Wednesday, acquiring forward Max McCormick, 26, from the Ottawa Senators’ organization for Eagles forward J.C. Beaudin, 21. McCormick will report to the Eagles.