When Carolina Hurricanes forward Tyson Jost was claimed off waivers by the Nashville Predators on Wednesday, the journey to Nashville wasn't a lengthy one.
Jost said that after he found he had been claimed, he jumped in his car and drove straight to Nashville. It is a manageable drive, only eight hours from Raleigh to Nashville.
24 hours after he had been claimed, Jost was on the ice for practice at Centennial Sports Complex, getting acquainted with his new team.
"I love it here so far, and I'm excited," Jost said. "There are a lot of good things going on here, and the organization has an exciting plan right now, so I'm excited to be part of that."
While Jost has been back and forth between the NHL and AHL over the last few seasons, splitting time between the Hurricanes and Chicago Wolves last year, Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said he sees value in Jost's skill set that was evident when the forward was drafted.
Jost was selected 10th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2016 NHL Draft after putting up a whopping 104 points in 48 games with the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League.
"He [Jost] is a first-round pick, so it's hard to pass up guys with that kind of skillset," Brunette said. "We're excited to have him. I've watched him as an amateur player when I was upstairs. I've watched his path and we believe he still has more to give."
When he joins the roster, the biggest thing Jost wants to showcase is that he's a player who can be used anywhere in the lineup. Top six, bottom six, left, right or center, Jost wants to show the Predators that he can help wherever he is needed.
"I was injured for a lot of the year, but I played all three positions up front," Jost said.
"I kill penalties and I played with power play, so I think I'm pretty versatile, which helps; I can fit in anywhere in the lineup."
Jost's addition to the lineup and his ability to play at all three forward positions benefit the Predators in their effort to fill the depth gap at center.
In the offseason, the only addition down the middle was Erik Haula. Brady Martin could potentially join the lineup, drafted fifth overall by Nashville this summer.
Jost said that he hasn't discussed with Brunette or any of the Predators' coaching staff where he'll play in the lineup. However, as he stated before, he is willing to play wherever he is needed.
If you want me to do something, I'll do it," Jost said. "I think that's just a nice thing that I can kind of slot it anywhere."
One thing that stood out specifically to Jost in his first practice with the team is the amount of youth on the ice and just how talented they are.
In the final week of training camp, Joakim Kemell, Tanner Molendyk, Ozzy Wiesblatt, Fedor Svechkov, Zachary L'Heureux and Martin are some of the younger guys on the ice.
"A lot of these young guys, just the skill they have, and you can just see the speed and talent out there," Jost said. "You don't see a lot of those guys, especially when they're playing in The A [AHL], but you come here and you're like, holy smoke, it's just how much skill they have. The future's in great hands here."
Having veterans on the ice benefits the younger players, but Brunette said the veterans can also take a lot away from it. In Nashville, where he is investing in a lot of its younger talent, Jost could see a spike in his game with the Predators.
"If we look at the big picture, they're bought into the organization, and for us to be successful, they understand that the young guys push them to get better," Brunette said.