Shocker: Avs send top prospect to minors

It might come as a shock to many Avalanche fans, but there had been whispers for a few days now that it could happen: Tyson Jost, the Avs’ first-round pick from 2016, who started the season as the team’s second-line center, has been demoted to the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League.

Along with Jost, the Avs reassigned defenseman Ryan Graves to the Eagles.

Jost, 20, had six goals and 15 points in his first 43 games for the Avs, with a minus-7. His ice time has steadily gone down of late, with just a combined 15 minutes the last two games in Toronto and Ottawa as a fourth-liner.

The Avs are hoping he can get some confidence back in his game at the AHL level, then maybe come back later in the season to be a regular contributor. The good news for Jost remains that he’s still just 20. He has 114 games of NHL experience, but might have rushed it out of college, after playing just one year at North Dakota.

He has been used as a center and left wing, but center is his natural position.

There was no immediate word on any call-ups from the Eagles to take Jost’s spot.

Graves played well for the Avs in his first NHL stint, but with the return of Patrik Nemeth to the lineup, the Avs would have carried eight defenseman and they want Graves to keep developing with the Eagles.

More on the Jost story after practice Friday.