Most conversations about drafting a goaltender early in the 2021 NHL Draft focus on the consensus top prospect, Jesper Wallstedt. But there’s another top-end prospect vying for a first round pick: Sebastian Cossa.
WHL Success
Cossa has played in the WHL the last two seasons. He started in crease for one of the league’s best teams, the Edmonton Oil Kings. With the Oil Kings, Cossa played some elite hockey; in his first year with the team, Cossa secured a save percentage of .921 through 33 games. Although the sample size was smaller (The WHL had a shortened season due to Covid), Cossa managed to improve in the 2021 season to a league-leading .941 save percentage.
There are a few minor concerns about the impressive stats Cossa put up in his time with the Oil Kings. Compared to what scouts typically get to look at, 52 games through two years is relatively limited. It also doesn’t help that he played with one of the best teams in the league, possessing an elite defensive unit. But the numbers are too good to write off because of limited play.
Big-Body
Cossa is a giant in the crease. Standing at 6-foot-6, he towers over the entrance of the net, daring shooters to find a gap. The problem for opposing teams? His positioning makes it nearly impossible to find any hole in the net. Cossa is fantastic at angling to cut of shooters and positioning to take away any high danger scoring chances.
The main issue that’ll make general managers pause is lack of experience. Although Cossa seems pretty close to being ready, he’s just so inexperienced compared to other goaltenders in previous drafts. The odd 2021 season in the WHL won’t help his case, either. Cossa isn’t a Spencer Knight-type goalie that can slot into an NHL team’s rotation within a year. He’s going to need a few more years to hone his craft: likely one more year in the WHL and some time in the AHL. However, Cossa’s number’s, poise and size combined present a temping prospect – potentially pushing into the top 15.
Does He Fit for Detroit?
It depends on how the chips fall. For Detroit’s first pick at 6th overall, the answer is unequivocally no. If Jesper Wallstedt is already off the board, it’s hard to imagine Steve Yzerman reaching for the second best goaltender that high; there’s just too many talented skaters to consider the second-best goalie.
But if Cossa falls to the Red Wing’s second pick at 22nd overall – and that’s a big if – Cossa might be the perfect option for Detroit. As Nate Brown discussed in his article on Wallstedt, Yzerman is no stranger to picking up a goaltender in the first. And the Red Wings desperately need elite talent in the goaltender pipeline; the only true potential starter in the pipeline is Keith Petruzzelli, who has yet to sign his entry-level contract. If Yzerman passes on Wallstedt with his first pick and Cossa falls to 22nd, this might be the perfect match for the organization, and could provide an elite prospect to round out the goalie pipeline.