Perhaps it was inevitable Tyson Jost would play for the Predators at some point in his career.
That much became clear when his connection to a former Nashville fan favorite was fully recognized a few weeks back.
But what wasn’t as certain after Nashville claimed the now-28-year-old forward on Waivers from Carolina last October was what the 2025-26 campaign would bring.
Over five months later, Jost has found himself residing in Tennessee the entire time and sticking with an NHL club for a full season to this juncture for the first time in three years.
He’s appeared in 53 of Nashville’s 66 games thus far, and he’s proven to be a valuable piece of the bottom six forward group with the ability to play the center ice position or on the wing.
A tally in Seattle on Tuesday, followed by a pair of goals in Vancouver on Thursday, delivered some added attention. And while he’s only found the back of the net on six occasions this season to go along with 11 points, he’s done plenty to help the Preds remain in a playoff chase with 16 games to go.
“He brings energy,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said of Jost. “I think the way he skates and moves and hounds pucks, and then technically, does a lot of good things, structure-wise, in our group. So, he's a guy you can rely on. He's played for a long time. He's a great personality. It's great to see him get a couple of goals, because he's kind of been snake bitten at different times this year.”
“I was always trying to tell myself that it's going to come,” Jost said following his performance against the Canucks. “I was getting a lot of chances, and I loved how I was playing, even though maybe I wasn't finding the back of the net. And I think as my career has gone on here that [even if the offense isn’t] coming, you’ve still got to find ways to contribute, and you’ve got to just trust that you're getting those looks and trust the process. So, it’s definitely nice you're rewarded. I want to keep building on that.”
Originally selected by Colorado in the first round (10th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft, Jost spent the first six seasons of his career with the Avalanche. Since then, he’s made stops in Minnesota, Buffalo and Carolina, the latter two spots seeing him spend time at the AHL level as well.
Then, just as training camps were winding down last fall, the Hurricanes put him on Waivers with the intention of assigning him back to their AHL affiliate. That was until the Preds put in a claim.
Shortly after, Jost called former Preds defensemen, and one of his “best buddies,” Dante Fabbro, to get an idea of what to expect in the Music City. And since then, he’s established himself as a reliable presence in the Nashville lineup no matter the assignment.
“I've loved it,” Jost said of his new home. “It’s been awesome. It's just a great group, great coaching staff, and the city's amazing. The fans are awesome. So, I’ve really enjoyed it. And it was a tough couple of years there. In Carolina last year, I was injured for whatever it was, 45 games when I was up, and just tough. So, I think there's one thing about me is I just stuck with it and worked hard and kept trying to grow my game and get better. And when I found that I was getting picked up by Nashville, I was super excited… I’m really happy to be here.”
His teammates feel the same.
Jost has predominately skated with some of Nashville’s younger forwards this season, including the likes of Ozzy Wiesblatt, who has also established himself as a mainstay with the Preds.
“It's been awesome,” Wiesblatt said of playing with Jost. “On the ice, he's so fast and makes it easy for me to do what we do best and get on forechecks and create energy and things like that. But away from the rink, he’s an awesome guy and a funny dude, so I’m getting along really well with him, and he fits in amazingly with our group.”
That vibe from Jost - one that seemingly exudes positivity no matter the situation - is simply part of his makeup, especially considering the adversity he’s faced in recent years. To have a piece like that in the room makes a difference, too, notably when the games matter more than ever.
“Obviously there's days where you wake up and maybe you're not feeling your best or whatever, but I think we're so fortunate to be in the position we are,” Jost said. “I think every day is just a blessing and a gift from God. I look back and look at all the people that have helped me get to this moment, and I just never want to take a day for granted… These last few years…just taught me to just appreciate the NHL, and you can't take a day for granted. That’s why I just worked my butt off, and I wanted to get back here so badly. I just don't want to take it for granted and just soak everything up. I want to be in the NHL, and I want to be a full-time player and be a difference maker and help the team win. I feel like I'm doing that right now. I just don't want to take anything for granted.”
“He's obviously very hungry, and I think you see that in his play,” Wiesblatt said of Jost. “He’s got an amazing attitude on him. When things aren't going well, he's hungry as ever, and he's finding some really good success right now and putting the puck in the back of the net and things like that. I’m super happy for him, and he’s a huge part of our team, so we need him.”
The Preds need everybody at this point of the campaign, and with just 16 games to go, the group intends to stay in the playoff race. The next chance at two points comes Tuesday night in Winnipeg when they face their division rival, and if recent events are any indicator, No. 17 in white may have plenty to do with Nashville finding success again.
While he may not show up on the scoresheet every night, Jost has found his role in the NHL once more. And at this point in his career, there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.
“It’s a fun position to be in, and we're fighting for our lives,” Jost said. “We’re playing a team tomorrow in Winnipeg that's in a very similar position, and this is where you want to be as a hockey player and as a team, too. You want to be in the fight. I’ve been on teams before with 16 games left, and you're already out of it. So, this is fun when each game is so meaningful, and it's playoff hockey right now for us. As a hockey player, you want to be playing those meaningful games, and we know that as a team. It’s exciting, and you’ve got to be excited every game to go out there and prove yourself. Playoffs are the goal, so that’s what we're going to be pushing for.”
