The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson was one of the first journalists to suggest that Red Wings prospect and former Edmonton Oil Kings netminder Sebastian Cossa could end up in Edmonton, and here’s what Matheson has to say about the situation tonight:
Yes the Edmonton Oilers still have the feel-good UFA goalie Connor Ingram in their sights, maybe wanting to re-sign him to tag-team with Tristan Jarry but bubbling under the surface, what about the Oilers and the intriguing Sebastian Cossa? That storyline hasn’t gone away.
Yes, Detroit wants a first-round draft pick for the 23-year-old goalie because he was a first-round pick, 15th overall when they took him in 2021, and, no, the Oilers don’t have a selection to trade the Red Wings in the first 32 Friday night, barring some sort of GM Stan Bowman gymnastics. Or in 2027, for that matter. They do have their first-rounder in 2028, but that is really kicking the can down the road for Detroit.
And, yes, another team (Utah) might be looking for somebody like Cossa, too, even if they do have Czechia tender Michal Hrabal as well in their pipeline, but just coming out of college. And they have a pick later in Round 1. They have the 19th selection and need a tender to give their over-worked starter Karel Vejmelka, 30, a breather after Vitek Vanceck wasn’t the answer last season.
At second glance, Vancouver, which has the 29th pick, along with No. 4, might seem a possible Cossa trade destination, too, because of the uncertainty for a long while with veteran Thatcher Demko. But the Canucks expect the oft-injured Demko to be ready for the start of the season to work with Kevin Lankinen, under contract for four more years. They also have hotshot Russian prospect Alexei Medvedev, who played junior in London, and Finn Aku Koskenvuo in their pipeline.
So, we’re back to the Oilers. They do have lots of their own prospect goalies — Samuel Jonsson, Nathaniel Day, Eemil Vinni (Finland) and Connor Ungar. But they covet Cossa, who has played three years in the AHL. There’s no reason why he can’t be their version of Carolina’s Brandon Bussi.
They do have the 52nd overall pick in round 2 Saturday, but that’s not going to get it done. They would likely have to throw in somebody like Bakersfield winger Quinn Hutson (30 goals, 63 points) to get their attention. Hutson, 24, might be blocked from making the Oilers in the top nine. Not sure former second-round defenceman Beau Akey, who is a terrific skater but small (173 pounds) with one pro year in Bakersfield, would interest them.
Maybe the Oilers toss them one of the prospect Gs, although one of the reasons the Wings are even contemplating moving Cossa is they have strong prospect Gs — Trey Augustine, 21, coming out of Michigan State, Czech Michal Postava, 24, who was their farm starter in the playoffs, not Cossa, Slovak Michal Pradel, 19, the 6’5” who had a big season in the USHL and Rudy Guimond, 21, who was 40-7-3 and had a 65-save four OT junior playoff game for Moncton this past playoffs in the QMJHL.
Bottom line on Cossa, who was picked five spots before Minnesota got Jesper Wallstedt in 2021: Not only is he big (6-foot-6) and athletic, but he’s also an RFA. He wouldn’t cost much in a new contract if they had him partner Jarry ($5.38M). He’s ready to be an NHL player like Stu Skinner was when he was coming up from Bakersfield to play with Jack Campbell, before taking over for him.
Continued; I’m not certain whether Cossa’s headed to Edmonton, but at 23 going on 24 this November, and out of waiver-exempt options, the Red Wings would have to make them their #2 or #3 goaltender no matter what this fall.
Two difficult second-half-of-the-season performances by Cossa over the past two years with Grand Rapids, combined with Michal Postava’s emergence, seem to have bumped Cossa out of the Wings’ plans. So we shall see…
