Struggling forward Tyson Jost has been assigned to the AHL Colorado Eagles.

The Avalanche didn't practice Thursday and made the announcement on Twitter.

They also sent defenseman Ryan Graves to the Eagles. I thought he played just fine in his first eight NHL games, scoring two goals.

Jost, 20, the Avalanche’s first-round pick (No. 10) in the 2016 NHL draft, is another story. He has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 43 games and recently was demoted (again) to the fourth line. He has 38 points (19 goals, 19 assists) in 114 career games.

Jost had 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in 65 games as a rookie last season, with one assist in six playoff games. He was being counted on to supply some offense on the second line this year, and it just hasn’t happened.

Jost had two goals Jan. 2 against San Jose after going 16 games without a goal. He had two assists in six games since.

Graves, 23, was a healthy scratch in the Avalanche’s final two games of their five-game road trip; they went 1-4-0 on the trip, ending it Wednesday with a 5-2 loss in Ottawa.

The Eagles play in Loveland, about 50 miles north of Denver, so this could be a short term stay, at least for Jost.

The Avalanche now have seven defensemen with the return of Mark Barberio and Nikita Zadorov from injuries. They are down to 12 healthy forwards; Gabriel Bourque was a healthy scratch the past six games.

The Avalanche have lost 10 of the past 12 games (2-8-2). They play Los Angeles in a Saturday matinee to open a three-game homestand.



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