We’re back to get into another hot-button Avalanche topic for when the sport inevitably returns.

Today’s topic: Tyson Jost. He looked like a stressed-out kid leading up to the deadline and then appeared to be freed from the shackles of worry after it passed and he stayed in Colorado. Are you buying or selling Tyson Jost as the aggressive and effective forward we saw after the deadline? No halfsies, AJ.

AJ: I’ll be the outlier here and buy. I think Jost has quietly been building towards a breakout for a while as all of his underlying process took a significant leap forward this year. I buy that as a meaningful building block towards eventual point production and am believing in him. He’s still so young having just turned 22 and I just have a hard time selling stock on such a high-character person who works as hard as he does. Maybe I’ll just forever be the sucker when it comes to Tyson Jost and I guess I’m fine with that. I’m buying Tyson Jost as being for real. Finally. Again?
Evan: I am leaning towards sell. The metrics are strong when he’s on the ice, but there’s just not a lot that is standing out and the production isn’t matching up. The Avs have some youngsters coming up, and if there’s a breakout to happen for Jost, I just don’t see where he gets the ice time to show it. His best moments after the deadline came with a beat-up team and him playing a lot of minutes. That’s not going to happen most nights. I also think part of my decision here comes down to value. I don’t think Jost has a ton of value (although his age and pedigree may bring something back), but if he continues for another year to have about the same hit and miss production, the value will just continue to flatten, so I say get what you can for him now, knowing you have some guys coming up in Bowers, Kaut, and Newhook. A fresh start for Jost may be what he needs as well.

Rudo: If my hand is forced I must sell. There is plenty of evidence that a solid middle-six player lives inside Jost but it cannot lay dormant for 75% of every season. His role on the team continues to fluctuate and he has not shown the adaptability of a Donskoi or even a Wilson/Compher type to this point. The next wave of Avalanche youth is arriving with Kaut pushing for a job Bowers not far behind, even Newhook and others after that. If the Avs are looking to do anything in free agency there will be no opportunity for Jost to see the top six again and he sits in a role that is frankly replaceable. He has one more year to solve it with the Avs, otherwise, it may have to come elsewhere.