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“He plays like Jonathan Toews,” said TSN draft analyst Craig Button. “I’m not saying he’s going to be as good as Jonathan Toews, but he has a similar game. He’s a smart player who is comfortable is every situation.”

The comparison might explain why Jost says Toews is his favourite and that’s one of the reasons why he’s headed to the University of North Dakota in the fall. Toews played two seasons at North Dakota before turning pro and Button says Jost can use the time at college to mature and get stronger.

Jost’s international play — he also helped Canada win a gold medal at the Ivan Hlinka tournament last summer — has helped ease some of the concern over the fact he played junior at the Tier II level where he dominated. He had 42 goals and 104 points at Penticton and was the most valuable player in the BCHL.

Button cautions that while he thinks Jost will be a solid NHL player, he doesn’t think the Kelowna native will be a high-end talent.

“I see him being similar to (Philadelphia Flyers centre) Brayden Schenn without the fighting,” said Button. “He may score 60 points … but I don’t know if he’ll be a top-six player.”

phickey@postmedia.com

Follow Mike Boone’s NHL Entry Draft live blog on Friday night at Hockey Inside/Out.