Since the Detroit Red Wings traded up to select Sebastian Cossa with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 National Hockey League (NHL) Draft, he has been viewed as one of the team’s future cornerstones. The inconsistent play of Detroit goaltenders the last decade has only made fans’ dreams of Cossa more intense.
If Cossa’s potential is so great and Detroit has such a clear need in net, then why has he only made one NHL appearance since his draft year? That answer comes down to a few things.
Goaltender prospects typically take years to develop and this was even more true for Cossa, who was only 18-years-old when he was drafted. While his potential was clear, he also needed to find more consistency in his big, athletic style of netminding.
Over his first two seasons in the Detroit system, Cossa was seemingly developing on schedule
After leading the Edmonton Oil Kings to a WHL Championship with a .913 save percentage in 2021-22, Cossa began his professional career with the Toledo Walleye. He got off to a slow start in 2022-23, but grew and finished the year with a .913 save percentage and a 2.56 GAA. Cossa once again was strong in the playoffs and helped the Walleye reach the Western Conference Finals.
Cossa’s season with the Walleye was enough to get called-up to the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2023-24. Similar to his start in Toledo, he started slow, then turned it around in the second half of the year. Cossa posted a .913 save percentage and 2.41 GAA for the season.
Entering the 2024-25 season, the thought was that Cossa would get a little more seasoning in Grand Rapids, then either be on the Red Wings by the end of the year or have a clear spot on the team for 2025-26. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
For the first half of this season, everything was going according to plan. Cossa had a .920 save percentage in the 25 games before the All-Star break and was named an AHL All-Star. He even made his NHL debut in relief on December 9th against the Buffalo Sabres. He made 12 saves, including clutch saves in the shootout, to earn the Red Wings the victory.
Then, opposite to his previous two seasons, Cossa struggled down the stretch. He had only a .898 save percentage in the final 15 games of the year and was benched in the playoffs after posting a .868 save percentage in two starts.
The poor end to the year seemed especially concerning to general manager Steve Yzerman
At his wrap-up press conference, Yzerman said, “We are looking for him to take another step. I’m not prepared today to put him in the NHL.”
Despite Cossa’s two-and-a-half strong years in the system, he played poorly when his immediate NHL future depended on it. He now needs a lot to go his way to be on the Red Wings opening night roster in October.
Cossa’s biggest obstacle will be the competition on the depth chart. Alex Lyon’s likely departure makes things a little easier, but Cossa still has to overcome Cam Talbot and Petr Mrazek. It is also not out of the question that Yzerman may look to sign additional goalies in the offseason.
The one thing the young goalie can control is his performance in training camp
Yzerman has been consistent with young players needing to earn a spot in Detroit and overtake veterans, so Cossa needs to significantly outplay Talbot, Mrazek, or both to force his way onto the Wings.
As evidenced by this season, Talbot and Mrazek are not the steadiest at this point in their careers and there is still a clear window of opportunity for Cossa if he plays well.
Should Detroit fans be worried that Cossa has yet to be a permanent member of the Red Wings? Not really. The fact remains that Cossa’s development was always going to be a long-term process. Aside from a small dip these past few months, he has developed into a very strong goalie who contributes to winning during his entire professional career.
Hopefully, Cossa figured out whatever went wrong this year and can get back on track. With a good training camp and no additional goalie signings, Cossa can ease Yzerman’s concerns and prove that the future is now.
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