ESPN’s Victoria Mataiash pondered the fantasy hockey value, in both present and future tenses, of the NHL’s 2021 first-round draft picks, and she discussed Sebastian Cossa’s possible “upside” with ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski:
Sebastian Cossa, G, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton (WHL) Selected: 15, Draft board ranking: 14
Wyshynski: “… 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.”
One of the more obvious no-brainer fantasy selections available, Cossa is pegged to be the starting netminder for an Yzerman-built team that should emerge from its re-building cocoon in the not-too-distant future. There should be a fight over this prospect in every dynasty league on the planet. Any goalie can fall short of expectations for different reasons, but Cossa feels as near a sure-bet as one could ask. With so few performing at an elite level with true consistency, such a promising figure is worth the gamble. But patience is in order. Cossa isn’t starting for the Wings tomorrow.
Continued; patience is required where Cossa is concerned, because goaltenders take several years to develop, but there’s no doubt that he is the Wings’ “goalie of the future” by default.
