Minnesota Wild center Nico Sturm skates with the puck against the Detroit Red Wing on February 14, 2022. (Photo: David Berding/Getty Images)Photo: Getty Images
Tuesday, the Colorado Avalanche acquired center Nico Sturm from the Minnesota Wild. The Avalanche is sending center Tyson Jost to Minnesota.
Sturm, 26, has scored nine goals and added eight assists in 53 games for the Wild this season. He is in his second full NHL season and fourth overall. Sturm has 20 career goals, all coming in the last two years.
A native of Ausbrug, Germany, Sturm played at Clarkson College from 2016-2019.
Jost was the Avs first round draft pick (10th overall) in 2016. He has played in 59 game this season and has 14 points, scoring six goals and adding eight assists. Jost has 45 goals and 58 assists through his first six NHL seasons.
From the Avalanche:
AVALANCHE ACQUIRES STURM
Forward Has Played in 111 Career NHL Games
DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has acquired forward Nico Sturm from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Tyson Jost.
Sturm, 26, has recorded 17 points (9g/8a) in 53 games with the Wild this season and ranks second on the team in faceoff win percentage (52.0%). Signed by Minnesota as a free agent, April 1, 2019, Sturm has produced 36 points (20g/16a) in 111 career NHL games, all with the Wild. He has also added three points (2g/1a) in nine career postseason outings.
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound center played his first full NHL season in 2020-21 and tallied 17 points (11g/6a) and a +10 rating in 50 contests, tied for third among NHL rookies in plus/minus and tied for 10th in goals. He finished the regular season tied for fourth on the team in goals and tied for fifth in plus/minus rating. His 11 markers were tied for sixth by a rookie in Minnesota franchise history. Sturm added two points (1g/1a) in seven playoff contests and led the team in plus/minus rating (+1) during the postseason.
"Nico is a big, strong forward who also brings a heavy defensive presence. He is a defensive-minded center who can chip in offensively, is good on draws and can contribute on the penalty kill," said Avalanche Executive Vice President / General Manager Joe Sakic. "We would like to thank Tyson for everything he has brought to our team over the last five seasons, not just on the ice, but in the generous and impactful work he has done throughout the community."
The Augsburg, Germany, native played one season in the American Hockey League with the Iowa Wild in 2019-20, collecting 32 points (12g/20a) in 55 games.
Prior to turning pro, Sturm played three seasons at Clarkson University from 2016-19, collecting 103 points (36g/67a) in 118 career NCAA games. He served as team captain his junior season in 2018-19 and was a Top Ten Hobey Baker Award Finalist and First-Team CCM/AHCA All-American selection. Additionally, Sturm was an ECAC First-Team All-League selection and was named to the 2019 ECAC All-Tournament Team. He earned the conference's Best Defensive Forward award in two consecutive seasons from 2017-19.
Jost was selected by the Avalanche in the first round (10th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft. He has recorded 103 points (45g/58a) in 321 career games, all with Colorado.