Avalanche Free Agency Watch: Tyson Jost

With the Avalanche season officially drawn to a close, it’s time to turn our attention to what is sure to be an interesting offseason. According to CapFriendly, the 2020-21 Avs squad has 14 members currently signed on next season, leaving some decisions for GM Joe Sakic to make on some of his uncontracted players. With an estimated cap hit of roughly $59.1 million for next season’s Avalanche, and with the NHL salary capped at $81.5 million, Sakic and Co. have roughly $22.4 million to work with…with plenty of work to do.

Colorado Hockey Now will work its way down that list of a few of the unsigned Avalanche and make a case for and against re-signing the prospective free agents, providing stats, analytical insights and opinions on the matter ahead of the opening of the NHL’s free agency period beginning on Oct. 9.

What to do about Tyson Jost? That is the question, and it’s one that GM Joe Sakic is likely asking himself at this very moment.

Since drafting the once-upon-a-time BCHL and CJHL MVP with the 10th-overall pick in 2016, Jost has become one of the most polarizing and debate-inducing forwards in the Avalanche organization. And now, with his entry-level contract set to expire this offseason, making him a restricted free agent, those debates and back-and-forths have once more thrust themselves into the forefronts of the minds of armchair GM’s and Avs faithful.

With a yearly cap hit just shy of $886,000, and coming off his three-year ELC, Jost will certainly command a raise. That’s just how it works. Now, how big of a raise or if he gets re-signed remains the question.