Returning from whence you came

Players going back to where their careers started or took off can be a whirlwind of emotions and Sabres forward Tyson Jost is the latest to have that experience

Returning to one’s roots causes reflection. It brings memories flooding back. Maybe it even reminds you of missteps along the way or decisions that could’ve been better. In the NHL world, going back to where a player’s career started can stir all of those memories all at once.

In the case of Buffalo Sabres forward Tyson Jost, he returns to Denver for the first time since he was traded by the Colorado Avalanche to the Minnesota Wild at the deadline last season. The opportunity to go elsewhere and get the change of scenery some thought he (and Nico Sturm, the player he was traded for) needed to get the No. 10 pick 2016 NHL Draft into a better position to succeed.

The cruel twist of fate in the trade is it prevented Jost from being part of the Avalanche when they won the Stanley Cup. He spent five-and-a-half seasons with the Avs and played 321 games but had to watch friends and former teammates celebrate from home.

His road to Buffalo came via Minnesota when the Sabres picked him up off waivers and now, he’s having success getting the chance to play to his strengths with the Sabres. It’s an upbeat time for his young career, after tough turns with the trade and the Wild placing him on waivers in the first place but going back to where it began is a whirlwind.