It seems like, no matter where you look, insiders are trying to push the Detroit Red Wings into trading Sebastian Cossa.
Earlier this week, NHL insider Frank Seravalli posited a baseless rumor that suggested goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa is "on the outs" with the Red Wings. Now, it apepars that he's trying to elaborate on this point further.
"Sebastian Cossa is out in Detroit," said Seravalli on his podcast. "The asking price for him is a second round pick or a roster player that can help them now. "
It's hard to imagine that Cossa, who The Athletic ranked as the top goaltending prospect in the NHL, would go for a second round pick or roster player. It's even harder to believe that that playere would be someone like Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. Nurse, who is often cited as one of the worst contracts in the NHL, is on a deal that sees him paid until he's 36 years of age.
This is, for lack of a better term, utterly ridiculous.
Red Wings have all the bargaining power here
The Red Wings have all but locked up their top-four defensive positions for the future. Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider make up the top pair. Justin Faulk and Ben Chiarot are on the second pairing for at least another season, with Axel Sandin-Pellikka and a bevy of other defenders waiting in the wings for their chance. Albert Johansson and Jacob Bernard-Docker round out the core on the bottom pairing.
If the Red Wings were to make this ridiculous trade, where would Nurse fit? Would the Red Wings bump Bernard-Docker out of the lineup, who they just signed to a multi-year extension? Where would Sandin-Pellikka fit in the future? The speculation around Nurse makes no sense. The Red Wings have boatloads of salary cap flexibility. Why would they waste it on a $9.5M/year defenseman for the next five seasons?
The Red Wings have all the bargaining power here. The Oilers, on the other hand, have nothing the Red Wings want.
Why Cossa isn't going anywhere
At this point in the rebuild, it makes no sense to trade Cossa. Cam Talbot is all but guaranteed to walk this offseason. While Michal Postava is the current starter with the Grand Rapids Griffins, this doesn't mean the Red Wings don't believe in him.
The Griffins are fighting for the Calder Cup. This means, until Postava falters, they'll ride the hot hand. It's the same thing the Pittsburgh Penguins did with Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury. The best way to ensure success at the playoff level is to trust the goalie that got you there.
Cossa is an extremely skilled goaltender with a high ceiling. It's clear that the Red Wings believe in him. They're going to give him every opportunity they can to let him succeed at the professional level.
Whether he or Postava serve as the backup in Detroit is anyone's guess. But, until then, baseless speculation on picks and trades is about as productive as saying the Red Wings are going to trade for Connor McDavid. Sure, it's a nice sentiment, but the likelihood of it happening is close to 0%.
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