3 major mistakes the Red Wings and Steve Yzerman must avoid this offseason

Failing to make a blockbuster trade for a goaltender

It’s great that the Red Wings have one decent goaltender in Alex Lyon, but they need a superstar in the net to take things to the next level. Sebastian Cossa may be a player fans would love to see earn a chance in the Motor City, but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Cossa will be a great goaltender, but he’s had just one good year in Grand Rapids, and there is no need to rush the 21-year-old. 

This is especially true following what their division rival, Buffalo Sabres, tried with Devon Levi this season. Levi was outstanding in college and played well in a seven-game stint before the 2023-24 season, only to put up the numbers of a fringe backup goaltender. 

It’s also worth noting that Cossa only played in three AHL games in 2022-23, spending  most of his time with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye before moving up to Grand Rapids full-time in 2023-24. Cossa was outstanding with the Griffins, but a 43-game sample size isn’t enough, so Yzerman must trade for a marquee goaltender. 

Trying to acquire a stopgap also wouldn’t work in this situation, as the Red Wings were a top-10 scoring team that inched too close to the playoffs, but their goaltending was nowhere near solid. In this situation, they need to win now, especially following a season in which Yzerman again missed the playoffs. 

Refusing or failing to acquire a big-name goaltender won’t help this team break what is becoming an infamous playoff drought. And it could even bring forth an even more infamous backslide.