Buffalo Sabres 2023-24 Player Outlook: Tyson Jost
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres brought in forward Tyson Jost off of waivers last season and he proved to be a solid pickup. Will that trend continue in 2023-24?
Tyson Jost will never live up to his billing as a former first round draft pick, but the Buffalo Sabres don’t need him to. Jost showed he could be productive on the penalty kill in 2022-23, and he will likely play a pivotal role on the unit again this season.
He was also rather sneaky last year, notching 22 points in 59 games with the Blue and Gold, and that tied his career high in points per game at 0.37. He also notched a career high in xGF, or expected goals for, at 36.1 over his 71 games with both Buffalo and the Minnesota Wild.
His efforts landed him a one-year deal worth $2 million to return to the Sabres for another season, where he will once again find a role on the lower lines. Jost should also see more playing time early given the Achilles injury Jack Quinn suffered nearly a month ago.
What will Tyson Jost’s role look like with the Buffalo Sabres in 2023-24?
Last season, Jost averaged 13:21 per game, and he was a healthy scratch at times later in the season. He could end up centering Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons early on if Buffalo moves Peyton Krebs to third line center and Casey Mittelstadt to second line wing.
However, Buffalo needs someone back there who is at least halfway decent at winning faceoffs, something I talked about in a previous article. Unfortunately for Jost, he ended the year with a 38.3% faceoff win percentage, which could necessitate him to predominantly play winger on the fourth line while someone like Girgensons kicks inside to center.
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Once Quinn returns, you could expect Jost to become a rotational piece along with Okposo, who should be playing the 2023-24 season on a pitch count. Overall, look for Jost to be a role player once more who will see a full-time role with the Buffalo Sabres over the first half of the season, and he could revert to a part-time role in the lineup after Quinn returns.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference, salary information provided by Cap Friendly)