Red Wings swap 15th pick for 23rd with Dallas, pick Sebastian Cossa

The Detroit Red Wings traded their 23rd overall pick to the Dallas Stars for the 15th overall pick…

DALLAS TRADES WITH DETROIT FOR 15 per @KevinWeekes— George Malik (@georgemalik) July 24, 2021

DET moving from 23 to 15 in trade with DAL here— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 24, 2021

Here’s the big move: Red Wings have traded up to No. 15, per @KevinWeekes— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) July 24, 2021

23, 48 and 138 for 15.

That’s a big trade.— George Malik (@georgemalik) July 24, 2021

? TRADE ALERT ? #DRWDraft x #LGRW pic.twitter.com/bU6EYKtRuk— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 24, 2021

The Red Wings moved up to No. 15 overall in a trade with the Stars

The cost:
•1st round pick: 23 overall
•2nd round pick: 48 overall
•5th round pick: 138 overall— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) July 24, 2021

And…

DET moves into the 15 slot due to a deal with DAL. Lots of pre-draft chatter about DET taking a goalie and lots of that talks was Jesper Wallstedt. Don’t be surprised, though, if it’s Sebastian Cossa.— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 24, 2021

DET pick is Sebastian Cossa— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 24, 2021

Red Wings pick G Sebastian Cossa from Edmonton (WHL) — had monster numbers in the WHL the last two years, including .941 save percentage this season with Edmonton Oil Kings. 6-foot-6 goaltender. @coreypronman had him as the top goalie in this draft class, No. 10 player overall.— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) July 24, 2021

With the 15th pick in the 2021 #NHLDraft, the #RedWings select…

Goaltender Sebastian Cossa! ?#DRWDraft x #LGRW pic.twitter.com/2BSlBLhhTR— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 24, 2021

The Detroit Red Wings TRADE UP to select SEBASTIAN COSSA 15th overall! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/Dmne9HOMd5— Winged Wheel Podcast (@WingedWheelPod) July 24, 2021

The Detroit Red Wings have acquired the 15th overall pick from the Dallas Stars in exchange for the 23rd, 48th and 138th overall picks.

With the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the Detroit Red Wings select goaltender Sebastian Cossa from the Edmonton Oil Kings! pic.twitter.com/v62jB76g5K— Complete Hockey News (@CompleteHkyNews) July 24, 2021

The Red Wings finally have their Goalie of the Future (TM). And @hailey_salvian has everything you need to know about him: https://t.co/5cfKyPXcSu— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) July 24, 2021

The Detroit Red Wings select Sebastian Cossa with the 15th pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft! pic.twitter.com/h09rnfMbuj— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 24, 2021

In 2012, Steve Yzerman acquired an additional first round pick in the middle round ,used it to select the first goaltender in the draft – Andrei Vasilevskiy. Now, in 2021 with Detroit, Yzerman uses it to select the first goaltender in the draft, Sebastian Cossa— Lightning Insider (@Erik_Erlendsson) July 24, 2021

The first puck-stopper picked is Fort McMurray, Alta., product Sebastian Cossa, who is the 15th overall selection by the @DetroitRedWings.#NHLDraft | @HockeyAlberta pic.twitter.com/NRx870IWym— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) July 24, 2021

#RedWings goalies…

Under contract:
Alex Nedeljkovic
Thomas Greiss
Kaden Fulcher
Filip Larsson
Victor Brattstrom

Prospects:
Sebastian Cossa
Jesper Eliasson
Keith Petruzzelli
Jan Bednar
Joren Van Pottelberghe
Carter Gylander— CapFriendly Depth Charts (@CF_DepthCharts) July 24, 2021

Highlights of #RedWings draft pick, No. 15 overall, Sebastian Cossa: https://t.co/SDWMHrLNGd— Dana Wakiji (@Dwakiji) July 24, 2021

NHL Draft Highlight Reel: Sebastian Cossa https://t.co/3KPMuwCMK1 via @YouTube #DRWDraft— Sarah Lindenau (@Lindy72) July 24, 2021

GOALIE OF THE FUTURE pic.twitter.com/3S25ur1by3— Jim Costa (@JimCosta_) July 24, 2021

I had Cossa at No. 13, two behind Jesper Wallstedt. They’re so different and I don’t think much separates them. It’s aggressive to trade up for a goalie, but I think Cossa’s upside with his size, quickness and year-to-year improvement is very high https://t.co/BVMMBVmbzC— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) July 24, 2021

With another first round pick of their own, Steve Yzerman and the @DetroitRedWings take the first goaltender in this draft, picking up @EdmOilKings Sebastian Cossa.

Here is what @BrockOtten had to say about our 19th rated prospect in the McKeen’s Top 223:#2021NHLDraft | #LGRW pic.twitter.com/OUfylwk1CM— McKeen’s Hockey (@mckeenshockey) July 24, 2021

Red Wings trade up to grab Sebastian Cossa 15th overall https://t.co/HoxW5Qw46D pic.twitter.com/XD7uvlXdbe— theScore NHL (@theScoreNHL) July 24, 2021

Here’s The Athletic’s Corey Pronman:

Scouting report: Cossa has been as good as you could have asked him to be in the WHL, dominating the league for the last two seasons. His athletic toolkit is very intriguing as a 6-foot-6 goalie who can move very well for that size. He covers a lot of net with his length. He has some quick twitch in his frame in how he moves around the net, and gets in and out of his butterfly. Cossa’s reads are typically great. He loses track of some pucks and can be a bit busy in the net but usually anticipates the play very well. I love his selective aggressiveness with his positioning, and how he takes away angles with his size as well as how well he uses his stick to break up a lot of plays. In a sentence, Cossa projects as a quality NHL starting goaltender with the potential to become an upper-echelon goalie.

Thoughts on the pick: Cossa is a true top goalie prospect and a key piece that Detroit was missing in its farm system, so an aggressive trade up makes a ton of sense. Outside of a true top center or two, it feels like a lot of the pieces are coming together for Detroit. Cossa has the upside to become an upper-echelon starting goaltender.

Cossa was ranked #15 on Bob McKenzie’s list and about #16 consensus.— Red Wings Prospects (@DRWProspects) July 24, 2021

The Free Press’s Helene St. James weighs in:

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman addressed the team’s need for an elite goaltending prospect by moving up in the draft to grab Sebastian Cossa.

Cossa, 6-feet-6, 212-pound, posted a 17-1-1 record with a `.57 GAA and .941 save percentage in 19 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League,

Cossa, 18, is an athletic goalie who moves quickly from side to side and from butterfly position to standing up. By size alone, he doesn’t give opponents much net to shoot at (in butterfly pose, his shoulders still reach the crossbar). Good at getting to pucks behind his net and making passes to his teammates.

Cossa boasts enviable size and skill and athleticism. He played 33 games for the Oil Kings in 2019-20, posting a .921 save percentage and 2.23 GAA. The pandemic denied him a shot at playoff hockey the past two seasons, but that should change next year. He projects to compete for Team Canada at the World Juniors next season. He’ll need time to work on his game, but Cossa could be a potential franchise goaltender.

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan:

The Red Wings then traded their picks at No. 23, 48 and 138 overall to Dallas and select goalie Sebastian Cossa with the 15th pick overall.

Cossa was generally considered the second best goaltender behind Swede Jesper Wallstedt.

Cossa (6-foot-6) 212-pounds), was 17-1-1 with a 1.57 goals-against average and .941 save percentage with Edmonton in the WHL last season.

WDIV’s David Bartkowiak Jr. weighs in as well:

The Detroit Red Wings have selected goalie Sebastian Cossa at 15th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft on Friday night.

The Red Wings traded up to the 15th overall to select Cossa by sending three picks to the Dallas Stars — the 23rd overall, and 2nd-round pick (48th overall) and a 5th-round pick (138th overall) in this year’s draft.

Cossa stands 6-foot-6 and is coming out of Canada’s Western Hockey League (WHL) where he posted a .941 save percentage through 19 games played this past season with the Edmonton Oil Kings. He also had 4 shutouts. He played 33 games with the Oil Kings in 2019-20 for a .921 save percentage — he also had 4 shutouts that season.

Sebastian Cossa is a massive, athletic goalie. He is not as developed as Jesper Wallstedt, who was rated higher, but has more upside. Like Edvinsson, it will be a few years before you see him Detroit. pic.twitter.com/KeqPweeMZL— Pat Caputo (@patcaputo98) July 24, 2021

The @DetroitRedWings take goaltender Sebastian Cossa with the No. 15 pick! #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/RJ6UCjqVra— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) July 24, 2021

MLive’s Ansar Khan on Cossa:

Cossa is the No. 1-ranked North American goaltender according to NHL Central Scouting.

Central Scouting’s breakdown of Cossa reads: “Tracks the puck very well. Has a pro-like presence. Plays an excellent hybrid butterfly style. Very smart at reading plays with excellent positional play. Confident, calm and relaxed with quick and efficient lateral crease movements.”

Cossa went 17-1-1 while leading all WHL goaltenders in goals-against average (1.57), save percentage (.941) and shutouts (tied; four).

In his WHL rookie season of 2019-20, Cossa went 21-6-3 with a 2.23 GAA, .921 save percentage and four shutouts.

Steve Yzerman on ESPN: “We’re progressing in the right direction. We’re pleased with some of the moves we’ve made. Tonight, we’re very happy with the two selections.” pic.twitter.com/rjzO8GKQTf— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) July 24, 2021

ESPN:

15. Detroit Red Wings: Sebastian Cossa, G

Team: Edmonton (WHL)
Ranking: 14 | Nationality: CAN
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-6 | Wt: 210 | Catch: L
Stats: 19 GP, 0.941 save pct., 1.57 GAA

How he fits: The Red Wings flipped the No. 23 pick — along with the 48th overall and 138th overall selections to the Stars for this pick. Obviously that was a function of seeing Cossa still on the board. Cossa stands 6-foot-6 and has good agility in the crease. He went 17-1-1 with a .941 save percentage for the Edmonton Oil Kings. After Keith Petruzzelli opted not to sign with the Red Wings, the team didn’t really have anyone in the mold of a goalie of the future. Cossa fits that mold, and fits the M.O. of GM Steve Yzerman. Back in 2012, he didn’t have a goalie of the future with the Lightning, so he drafted a kid from the Russian juniors in the first round. That kid just won the Conn Smythe and his second straight Stanley Cup: Andrei Vasilevskiy. — Wyshynski

HOLY MOLY! WE GOT OUR GOALIE! @SebastianCossa#DRWDraft x #LGRW

(?: @TheWHL) pic.twitter.com/pCA3Ovs7IT— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 24, 2021

Yzerman in his 3rd draft as GM of the Lightning took G Andrei Vasilevskiy at pick 19 in 2012. Vasilevskiy was 17 years old, 6’3, 225lb

Yzerman in his 3rd draft as GM of the Wings moves up to take G Sebastian Cossa at pick 15. Cossa is 18 years old, 6’6, 212lb

It’s happening!— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) July 24, 2021

Here’s The Athletic’s Corey Pronman on Cossa:

15. Detroit Red Wings: Sebastian Cossa, G, Edmonton-WHL

Nov. 21, 2002 | 6-foot-6 | 210 pounds

Scouting report: Cossa has been as good as you could have asked him to be in the WHL, dominating the league for the last two seasons. His athletic toolkit is very intriguing as a 6-foot-6 goalie who can move very well for that size. He covers a lot of net with his length. He has some quick twitch in his frame in how he moves around the net, and gets in and out of his butterfly. Cossa’s reads are typically great. He loses track of some pucks and can be a bit busy in the net but usually anticipates the play very well. I love his selective aggressiveness with his positioning, and how he takes away angles with his size as well as how well he uses his stick to break up a lot of plays. In a sentence, Cossa projects as a quality NHL starting goaltender with the potential to become an upper-echelon goalie.

Thoughts on the pick: Cossa is a true top goalie prospect and a key piece that Detroit was missing in its farm system, so an aggressive trade up makes a ton of sense. Outside of a true top center or two, it feels like a lot of the pieces are coming together for Detroit. Cossa has the upside to become an upper-echelon starting goaltender.

Here’s more from The Athletic’s Max Bultman and Corey Pronman:

“We think [Cossa’s] got a chance to be a really good goaltender in the NHL,” Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said. “As you know, yesterday we acquired Alex Nedeljkovic, 25-year-old goaltender.

“We felt that adding an 18-year-old prospect with Alex in Detroit, we got a great young prospect that we can just be patient and let him develop. And potentially have really solidified the goaltending position in Detroit.”

In 19 games in his second season with Edmonton, the Canadian had a 0.941 save percentage and 1.57 goals-against average.

First impression of Sebastian Cossa: this kid is 18 going on 28. Extremely poised kid. Really impressive in his first interview. Said his idol growing up was Carey Price.— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) July 24, 2021

The Free Press’s Carlos Monarrez is not amused:

Grade: C

One day after trading for Alex Nedeljkovic, Steve Yzerman made another trade for another goalie and moved up seven spots to take Cossa, a 6-foot-6 giant who’s 18 and seven years younger than Nedeljkovic. Cossa does a good job using his size to cut off angles and he gives the Wings something they don’t have right now: an elite goaltending prospect. The big question is why Yzerman spent so much — second- and fifth-round picks — to move up and bypassed Jesper Wallstedt?

Here’s USA Today’s Kyle Woodlief on Cossa:

15. Detroit Red Wings: G Sebastian Cossa, Edmonton

One of the best goalie prospects out of the Western Hockey League in years. Huge netminder who plays with sound techniques. Compresses his lower body making himself as wide as possible for first shots. Massively wide stance and goes from from post-to-post in one step – no sliding necessary. Great at freezing pucks to his frame preventing rebounds. Doesn’t let in soft goals, you have to beat him straight up. Able to make multiple saves by reading the play well and recovering quickly to get back in position for second shots.

Sebastian Cossa. #DRWDraft #LGRW

?: https://t.co/piwbScmq34 pic.twitter.com/vi71jkrPUs— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 24, 2021

Here’s Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff on Cossa:

“I thought I had a strong season,” Cossa said. “My play kind of earned it for me. The confidence I have in my game, I think I’m going to be the best goalie in the draft. “

I think I got picked where I should be.”

At 6-foot-6, 210 poiunds, Cossa is a towering presence between the pipes. He posted a WHL-leading .941 save percentage in 19 games last season.

“When I’m at the top of my crease, there’s not a lot to shoot at,” Cossa said. “Still recognizing that and patterning my game after that. My hands don’t have to move as much. My depth control is a big focus part for me.

“There’s bigger holes with bigger goalies but when I’m seeing the puck very well I definitely use my size to my advantage.”