The Colorado Avalanche returned to the practice ice on Friday afternoon as they prepared for their home tilt against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. It was a full practice with everyone who played in last night’s loss at the Columbus Blue Jackets participating as well as a couple healthy extra bodies.

Not among the healthy players but still on the ice for practice was defenseman Erik Johnson, who participated in the session while wearing the non-contact jersey. Following the on-ice work, head coach Jared Bednar once again declined to provide a timeline for a potential Johnson return. It was notable fellow defenseman Mark Barberio was not on the ice as he skated alongside Johnson last week but appears to have suffered another setback in his rehab from an undisclosed upper-body injury.

The practice was very quick, wrapping up after about 20 minutes as a whole team and the players broke down into smaller groups working on specific skills, such as faceoffs and one-timers and the like.

In talking to the media after, Tyson Jost shed some light on a major decision coming up soon for top Avalanche prospect Cale Makar, whose UMass team is set to take on Northeastern in the Hockey East tournament this weekend. Should the Minutemen fall, Makar will be tasked with facing the same decision Jost did following his freshman year at North Dakota abruptly ending with a loss to Boston University in last season’s NCAA Tournament: Leave for the NHL or return to school for one more season.

“I know Cale a little bit,” Jost began. “I played World Junior Challenge with him. I don’t know how long ago it was but we actually won a gold medal together. We have a little bit of a relationship through that and he’s the same age as I am. Obviously, he’s an unbelievable player. You can see that just in the World Juniors. He got, I think, top defenseman of that tournament for a reason. He was pretty outstanding. I think you make the jump. Obviously, that’s his decision, his family’s decision. I mean, it’s going to be a tough one. I know for myself it was a tough one but I’m sure the Avalanche will welcome him with open arms just because he is so skilled. It’s going to be a decision he has to make and the Avalanche management has to make. I know we’d be happy to have him for sure.”

Jost is uniquely positioned to provide perspective to Makar as he played in the BCHL (the AJHL for Makar) and then heading to the NCAA instead of going to the WHL, where both players were drafted. Following a standout freshman year, Jost took time to make the decision with his family and ultimately decided he was ready for the next step, signing with the Avalanche and appearing in their final six games last season.

“Once we lost to BU, obviously I was really upset,” Jost continued. “You have a wave of emotions because you’re with those guys for a year and you went to battle with each other every single night. We really created a bond and a brotherhood in that locker room. It was tough for me because I had so many friendships but it was my dream to play in the National Hockey League and that’s where I wanted to be. I thought I could make that jump. It’s tough because you’re out of the season and I guess you could say you’re in the off-season mode but for me, it’s never really off-season mode. I’m always thinking about hockey. My dream is sitting right in front of me and I had an opportunity to take it so I did.”

With the Avalanche mired in a terrible season, Avs star Nathan MacKinnon reached out to Jost on multiple occasions last year to urge him to be a one-and-done in the NCAA and help the Avs figure it out this year. Hearing from a player already in the NHL and feeling that pull played a large part in Jost’s ultimate decision to leave.

“It helps a lot just because they went through it,” Jost told BSN Denver. “It’s a tough decision when you’re that young. I loved my time at North Dakota and I’m sure he loves his time at UMass. You just want to make sure you’re ready and can come help the team. That was my main concern. It helps a lot when you have guys in this locker room reaching out to you and just kind of telling you ‘It would be nice to have you, we really want you. We want to make a push next year’ and all that good stuff. I can offer the same thing to Makar this year.”

So, will Jost be giving Makar the hard sell?

“I know I’ll be talking to him and offering him all the advice I can because I was in the exact same situation. We do have a lot in common with the same age and all that stuff. We did play together so we have a little bit of a relationship. I’ll talk to him and offer him some advice. At the end of the day, it’s his decision and he knows what’s best for himself. At the end of the day, I know he’s a really good player and can make a difference in the NHL. I’ll just kind of be there for guys, I guess you could say, and just talk through things and answer any questions he asks.”

Where the situations really take a different direction is what happens after signing. Jost was able to join up with the Avs and play six games before the NHL season ended. With Colorado in a playoff chase and a potential 2020 expansion draft to consider, it would seem unlikely Makar plays for the Avalanche this season but instead heads to San Antonio on an ATO instead.

If Makar ends up deciding on another season at UMass, it sounds like it won’t be because guys already on the Avs aren’t itching for him to join up. With Makar’s Minutemen a decided underdog this weekend, it will be an interesting situation we’ll be monitoring here at BSN Denver. As always, check back for any updates when Makar’s season does eventually end.

News and Notes:

• Jonathan Bernier will start in place of Semyon Varlamov tomorrow. Varlamov has started every game and played every other day since Valentine’s Day. It is a well-earned rest for the Russian netminder.
• Vladislav Kamenev skated with the Avs again today and was set to visit with doctors following practice in hopes of getting a timeline for his return. Bednar reiterated the team’s plan to send him to San Antonio for a conditioning stint. Rules stipulate Kamenev’s conditioning stint in San Antonio, whenever it does begin, can only be for a maximum of six days or three games.
• Sven Andrighetto and Alexander Kerfoot swapped lines in practice today with Bednar saying it was about both players as Andrighetto looked good in his return from injury and Kerfoot has been struggling lately. Kerfoot has just four points in his last 19 games.
• There was a little boy at practice today wearing a Mikko Rantanen jersey. When Rantanen got onto the ice, the little boy excitedly shouted ‘Mikko!’ in hopes of showing Rantanen he was wearing the young Finn’s jersey. Rantanen spotted him, skated over with a huge grin on his face, and gave him a thumbs up. Safe to say No. 96 has a fan for life.