Goaltending might be the most volatile position to monitor in the NHL. There are nights where backups play like Vezina contenders, and nights where generational talents let in five goals on seven shots.
It's the most unpredictable position in the NHL, for certain -- and one the Detroit Red Wings have tried to address for a long, long time.
Since Jimmy Howard retired in 2021, the Red Wings have started 14 goaltenders: Jonathan Bernier, Thomas Greiss, Calvin Pickard, Alex Nedeljkovic, Magnus Hellberg, Ville Husso, Alex Lyon, Michael Hutchinson, Cam Talbot, Petr Mrazek, Sebastian Cossa, John Gibson, Daniil Tarasov and, finally, Michal Postava.
That's a lot of turnover over just five years.
To be fair, most NHL organizations undergo turnover between the pipes. Finding a legitimate long-term starter is a puzzle teams like the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights continue to solve to this day.
That said, it might be time for the Red Wings to go back to the drawing board once again.
There are two sides to the coin that is the Red Wings' net. On one side, John Gibson ended another underwhelming October with a .860 save percentage and 3.37 goals against average. On the other, prospect Michal Postava stunned the NHL in his debut, winning a heart-stopping shootout against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
In his first game back in the AHL following his emergency call-up, Postava improved to 5-0-0-0 on the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, sporting an impressive .955 save percentage and 1.20 goals against average.
Postava's performance - and Gibson's underwhelming October - may force the Red Wings to make a tough decision about hte future.
The pros and cons of making room for Postava
It should go without saying that Michal Postava looks ready for the NHL. To dominate the AHL is one thing. But to stand up to the likes of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl while stoning them in the shootout is another entirely. Based on roster trends, it seems as if the Red Wings are focusing more on giving their younger players opportunities.
It's paying off, too.
According to Red Wings broadcaster Ken Daniels, the Red Wings lead the NHL in rookie points with 18 among their newcomers.
Ken Daniels just shared on the broadcast that the Red Wings lead the NHL in rookie points with 18 so far 👀
October 31, 2026If the Red Wings are serious about starting a youth movement, Postava seems like the ideal candidate to uplift for the future.
The biggest question is what happens to one of Gibson or Tarasov.
What a return could look like for Gibson or Tarasov
Pay no attention to the Connor Hellebuyck return: that's more the exception than the rule. Due to the volatile nature of goaltenders, returns are often quite middling. Even Sebastian Cossa, who was often ranked the top goaltending prospect in the league, only secured a first round pick from the Utah Mammoth.
Gibson's value at this point in his career is likely close to a mid-to-late round pick. In an ideal world, he lands somewhere close to a third round pick. The Red Wings might look at this and balk at the offer if it's lower.
But if they want to give Postava a legitimate shot, they should take what they can get with Gibson (or Tarasov, for that matter).
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