Trey Augustine's gonna ultimately hop to No. 1 on my good old list of most exciting prospects the Detroit Red Wings got to offer in 2026. And when you look at Augustine, really, he's smallish these days for a netminder, at just 6'1, 194 lbs.
But throw in the fact he's got textbook technique and fluid movement, it's no wonder that he's arguably the best goaltender college hockey will see this season. It'll be a tough hill to climb, but if the former 41st overall pick doesn't see a GAA under 2.00 and a save percentage under 0.935, there's not a single word in the dictionary that would describe how shocked I'd be.
Really, there isn't. I got that much faith in Augustine that he'll just go out and dominate the college ranks this season. Last year, the kid saw action in 30 games and finished with a 2.08 GAA and a 0.924 save percentage with three shutouts. So don't tell me those numbers I listed above aren't possible.
Trey Augustine could be the fan favorite to ultimately take over in the Red Wings net in time
If Augustine's off to a hot start with the Michigan State Spartans this season and Sebastian Cossa's still handing us question marks, then I'm putting my weight behind Augustine. Heading into the 2023 draft he was my top netminder by a longshot, and now he's proving why he deserves to be mentioned among the best in college.
It's like he's trained himself to see from his center and periphery vision all at once, and that ain't an easy thing for any goalie. That comes in handy when he needs to track the puck, make a hard save, and he's got the tenacity to dig deep and gain leverage to freeze the puck when he needs to.
All of that said, if you're one who loves following goaltenders, especially for a team like the Red Wings that needs a long-term solution in the net, Augustine's worth your time. There's no doubt he'll challenge Cossa in the future, whether it's 2026-27 or 2027-28.
Keep an eye on Augustine all season, watch him continue to develop, and ultimately, master his game at the collegiate level. It won't be long until he takes the professional ranks by storm, and he'll be one entertaining player to watch at the higher levels. I can't wait to see what he does this year.