Detroit Red Wings future in net: Sebastian Cossa vs. Trey Augustine (mailbag part 2)

The Monster: Sebastian Cossa

I know, he’s the obvious answer. 

Sometimes the obvious one isn’t boring or wrong, it is the best answer. 

In a stark contrast to a lot of the stereotypes surrounding goaltenders, Sebastian Cossa is an affable, team-first goaltender. 

He stays late after practice so that his teammates can take extra shots on him and pushes his teammates to better themselves. There were even times he had to settle himself down, as he was so worked up in trying to help his teammates in scrums. 

There were a couple of times it seemed like Cossa might fight with someone, not another goalie (though he seemed intrigued to do it at one point), but skaters in front of his net.

My favorite part about Cossa, aside from playing for his teammates, is the way that he thinks about the game. It’s similar to Lyon and Alex Nedeljkovic in that he’s more of a proactive than reactive goalie. 

Instead of waiting for plays to come to him or sitting back in his net, as often as possible he’s on his toes, head on a swivel, and mind racing attempting to project the next move (of both his teammates and opponents).

He breaks the pucks out of his own zone as often as his defensemen at times (maybe this is a slight against some of his defensemen more than anything), but it’s a quality that helps keep his team moving. Instead of corralling the puck, waiting for his team to choose who’s coming to get the puck, wait for them to get set, then pass them the puck to exit the zone, he just looks up the ice to an open Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson, or Jonatan Berggren. In a game of inches and seconds, it can make a world of difference.

At times, these wonderful qualities get him into trouble with going a bit too far out of his area to make a play (or prevent one). Other times, he might misread or misplay the puck, but these are learning curves.

Cossa has minimized these opportunities in his game by not going too far out or for too long. When he is caught, he has a remarkable ability to get back and make athletic saves–seemingly out of nowhere.

Couple this growth in his game with the fact that his form is lightyears from where he was after his draft year and even prior to this 2023-24 season:

At the end of the season, he was winning accolades for his performance:

The Grand Rapids Griffins tied their home point streak and Cossa was a big part of it. He was the goalie for each of those home games.

About the midpoint of last season, Cossa took over the starter’s role and was the only goalie who played for the Grand Rapids Griffins. Cossa earned five wins and had four losses. He possessed a 2.72 goals against average (GAA) and a .900 save percentage (SV%) over the nine playoff games. 

His regular season boasted a better stat line of: 2.41 GAA, .913 SV%, and a win-loss-overtime loss record of 22-9-9 (over 40 games). It’s an echo of the previous season with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL where he finished with a record of 26-16-1, 2.56 GAA, and .913 SAA (over 46 games).

I get that Cossa didn’t make the impact fans and naysayers expected (like they wanted him as the starting goaltender in Detroit or Grand Rapids, but that’s not usually the way development goes).

We all hope a player is like Lucas Raymond, who comes in and steals a spot without looking back, but even Moritz Seider took an extra two seasons to join the Detroit Red Wings. 

Given time to develop, Cossa is steadily improving in both statistical output and his overall game. 

His mental toughness is stronger than I’ve ever seen. He would have bad goals, as any goaltender will, sometimes even a less-than-desirable game. However, he rebounds either the next shift, period, or game. 

Of course, natural maturity helps for the most part but players don’t always build a strong mental side. For goalies, it’s more vital as they arguably have the toughest position on the ice.

Take for example Cossa’s first three games of the American Hockey League (AHL). He finished with three games played, a 5.57 GAA, and a .783 SAA. It’s not a pretty stat line. 

While his first game in the AHL was promising, he took a tumble in terms of the development curve. That’s okay and is bound to happen to players at any point in their development. 

Going from juniors to professional leagues is challenging on its own. Then, add the most poorly run Grand Rapids Griffins team that I have ever witnessed to the mix, there’s a perfect storm. It was a blessing in disguise that Cossa was able to suit up for the Toledo Walleye. It was a better environment, great hockey (in terms of the organization and fans), and an opportunity to grow without losing all self worth.

It also might have brought a big ego back down to Earth. Cossa’s a darn good goaltender and he knows it. Taking a step back to refocus might be the healthiest thing for him at times so he remembers it’s okay to continue learning. He’s nowhere near a finished product.

His emotions and compete might get him in trouble at times, where he gets a bit too high and too low. Fortunately, this season he seemed to temper those emotions and I’m hoping he can continue to build on those traits. 

I tend to prefer players like Cossa, where he has to be reined in as opposed to asking a player to bring more fire to the table. Sometimes players with the fire burn a bit too bright and set everything ablaze. 

However, if there’s no spark there, how can a fire ever really be lit? 

In the prospects of old, I saw quite a few players with excellent talent. They just didn’t have that fire inside of them. It’s not that they’re not competitive or dedicated to hockey, it’s just that some guys are built differently.

Cossa is, as his compete and drive to win are second to none. It’s the same tree that Raymond, Seider, and Dylan Larkin sprout from and is hard to come by in hockey.

Gramps: Trey Augustine

Contrasting the wild child that is Cossa, the other highly touted Detroit Red Wings goalie prospect is known simply as Gramps.

Even though he’s a young man, Trey Augustine acts more like a well-seasoned veteran.

He’s methodical, almost surgical in his precision and play. Augustine doesn’t seem to let much bother him or change his groove. He is who he is and I appreciate his confidence.

Rarely is Augustine out of position. His vision and awareness on the ice helps him identify where to be and the way he should defend his crease.

Seemingly a lock as the starting netminder for team USA at the upcoming World Junior Championship, Augustine even saw minutes with team USA at the Men’s World Championships this summer. Partnered with Lyon, before Lyon’s hand injury sent him packing, he played well considering he was only drafted in 2023.

After a successful campaign with Michigan State University, finishing with a record of 23-9-2 (35 games played) coupled with a 2.96 GAA and a .915 SAA, Augustine is impressive. 

His World Junior performance was even better with a record of 4-0-0, a 1.75 GAA, and a .936 SAA. Then, his Men’s World Championship performance finished with a 2-2-0 record (four games played) with a 1.89 GAA, and a .929 SAA.

These numbers and fast-track in international play is likely a direct result of his maturity and technique. 

Another huge accolade for Augustine:

“He posted the best save percentage in USNTDP history last season [2022-23] (.928(, along with a 10-1-2 record and 2.34 goals-against average.”

The biggest questions I have about Augustine come from his size and facing adversity. 

Size is all relative they say. 

This saying can’t be any more true than it is for Augustine, who stands at 6 feet 1 inches. In normal circumstances, he would be considered above-average in height. According to the NHL’s average sized goaltenders, which was 6 feet 2 inches tall in 2021, he’s shorter than average.

To me, size hasn’t been a concern for any player when he applies himself. Considering Augustine’s track record and inner drive, I think size won’t hinder him too much. At times, it might, but he honestly might have fewer holes than a guy like Cossa who is almost too big for his own good. 

Additionally, movement for smaller-sized players tends to be easier. Smaller guys either know where their limbs are at all times or are quicker to recover if they don’t have such long limbs (I can’t imagine poor Lord Elmer Söderblom keeping track of his 6 feet 8 inch frame, but he does it better than I could dream of).

In short, I think the advantages and disadvantages of Augustine will cancel out and essentially make it a non-issue or benefit.

As for the second part, facing adversity, it’s where I have the most concerns about Augustine. 

He had a couple of bumpy seasons/performances, but nothing where he finished below a .880 SAA. This may speak volumes about his consistency in development. However, I wonder if this streak can continue exponentially.

At some point, there will be a struggle. It might not be as monumental as others face or as often, but everyone goes through it no matter the job. I’m interested to see how he rebounds.

I think back to Raymond. Although he struggled to earn regular playing time in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), he still earned his spot. Limited ice time and a small role weren’t great, but he did what he could in the time that he had to prove he was worthy of fourth overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Level Draft.

After a stellar rookie camp, Raymond face his biggest hurdle yet. The NHL had adjusted to him in his sophomore season. Opponents knew him better, suffocated him, and crunched him into oblivion.

He could have phoned it in, or struggled to find his footing in the season following. However, he picked himself up and had the most intense summer of his life. 

Depending on who you ask, Raymond may have gained anywhere between five to 15 pounds of muscle over one summer. While he took time on the mental side of things, he eventually caught his footing in a league that dooms almost everyone to failure. 

Augustine might do the same as Raymond, if he finds an obstacle that needs hurdling, but more often than not players can’t overcome the obstacles they face.

With Cossa, he’s seen the bad. He might see more of it, who knows, but I have the utmost confidence that he will overcome the adversity he faces based on his history. With Augustine, I can only hope that he can overcome the adversity.

Meanwhile, Augustine’s overall consistency in performance gets the nod when compared with Cossa (granted Cossa has played higher levels of competition thus far, but we can only play the cards we’re dealt in life).

To me, if anyone wants a stellar, superstar goaltender, then it’s Cossa.

If anyone wants a strong, reliable, mature goaltender, Augustine is your goalkeeper.

Who’s your pick? I tend to lean towards Cossa, but that’s just me. I like the drama, the entertainment, and the energy Cossa brings to the table. Augustine makes it a very tough decision, though.

The fact that we can have this debate is a win in itself, and I hope the decision on who’s the better goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings in the future only gets more difficult as both prospects improve their games.

On a quick side note, I don't see the future, long-term starting goaltender coming from outside of the organization. We might have some surprises in net along the way from guys like Carter Gylander and possibly Jan Bednař, but we'll give them a bit more time before passing further assesment of their futures with the Detroit Red Wings organization.