We all know that Red Wings goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa faces a pivotal season this year. At 22, going on 23 in November, the 6’6,” 209-pound netminder had an up-and-down sophomore season with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, starting strong and fading down the stretch.
This year, the Red Wings have chosen to go with a 2-goaltender system, and they didn’t sign a veteran to spell Cossa in Grand Rapids, instead, signing Czech league star Michal Postava as a rookie companion.
This year should afford Cossa multiple chances to build upon his rookie debut in 2024-2025 with some stints in Detroit, but Cossa’s got to stake his case for time in the Wings’ crease, especially given that fellow star goaltending prospect Trey Augustine’s probably playing in his final season at Michigan State.
Cossa told the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan that he’s well aware of his situation:
“I’m the highest on the depth chart that I’ve ever been going into camp,” Cossa said. “That’s good, but at the end of the day I still got to put the work in. I still have to play. It’s step by step. I’m happy where I am right now and just want to continue to push it.”
After an impressive first half in Grand Rapids last season — which also included Cossa’s first NHL victory in his first NHL game, in a relief role in Buffalo — Cossa’s play took downturn after the All-Star break (as did many Griffins, to be fair). That also included a forgettable overall performance in a first-round, three-game series loss in the playoffs.
Cossa didn’t shy away, or make any excuses, for his disappointing late-season downfall.
“I didn’t have the best second half last year, I wasn’t happy with the playoff performance,” Cossa said. “There’s a bit of a chip on the shoulder when it comes to that. I want to prove I can play at a really high level in the AHL and hopefully get (an NHL opportunity). I was rock solid the first half of the year up until to around December, then a couple of injuries in Grand Rapids and Detroit, and you miss a couple of guys and we got into a bit of a slump, the whole team. I wasn’t playing great. It’s unfortunate.”
Red Wings coach Todd McLellan’s well aware of Cossa’s situation, too…
“He’ll play in the preseason, no doubt about that,” McLellan said. “We’ve got to find out a little bit about him. Cossa’s coming into a really, really important year for himself.”
And the big goaltender that they call “SeaBass” insists that he’s ready to embrace the challenges ahead of him:
“It’s a big year, but nothing really changes for me,” Cossa said. “I had a real good summer and put in a lot of work. I’m just trying to stay consistent through the year. I want to gain the experience I’ve gained the past few years and push the pace and be the best version of myself.”
Kulfan’s notebook continues with a bit about Emmitt Finnie’s strong training camp performance…
