Detroit Red Wings: Can Sebastian Cossa climb the ladder in 2023-24?

The Detroit Red Wings made a draft day trade to jump into the first round and grab netminder Sebastian Cossa. He was the 15th overall pick from the 2021 NHL Entry Draft after the team made a deal with the Dallas Stars to grab the Hamilton, Ontario, native.

Since joining the Detroit Red Wings organization, things were not great for Sebastian Cossa at the AHL level with the Grand Rapids Griffins. But, while with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL, he was able to slow the game down and find his footing in the blue paint.

Cossa is thought to be an exceptional goalie projection-wise. He was a first-rounder for a reason and is likely going to be a big piece to the puzzle for the Red Wings down the line. The big thing for him is going to be continuing to climb the ladder and advance.

This means being able to find his footing at the next level with the Grand Rapids Griffins and also continuing to take strides with his development. Cossa could be a solid netminder in the future if he’s able to keep developing.

Detroit Red Wings goalie Sebastian Cossa looking to develop.

After being drafted in 2021, he stayed out west with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL. In 2021-22, Cossa managed a 33-9-3 record, a .913 save percentage (SV%), and a 2.28 goals-against average (GAA) before jumping into the organization on an entry-level deal.

That happened in 2022-23 when he was phenomenal for the ECHL Walleye. He played in 46 games with a 26-16-1 record. Cossa boasted a .913 SV% and a 2.56 GAA for the Walleye this past season, helping them to a postseason run where he was 5-2-0 in the playoffs, with a .917 SV% and a 2.32 GAA for the Walleye.

Cossa stepped up and joined the Griffins at the AHL level, but the results were not great. In three games played, he had a 5.57 GAA and a .783 SV% for the Griffins. It was not the best performance nor what the Red Wings were hoping for.

However, the Red Wings are hoping that he will be able to move through the organization with a better track record at the AHL level in 2023-24. It’s one of those things where players need time to settle in, and it’s not great for a first-rounder, but the Red Wings do have Ville Husso for the time being.

There’s no reason to worry about Husso right now, and he will be the team’s go-to. It’s not to say that Cossa is heading to the NHL in 2023-24, but it would be good to see him find his footing in the AHL and continue his development.