​The post Detroit Red Wings Drafted Czechia Goalie is Not a Robot appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect If the Detroit Red Wings planted an apple tree from seeds on the morning they drafted goalie Michal Orsulak, it would be nearly impossible to predict which tree would bear fruit first. Advertisement The development path for an NHL goalie typically spans six to eight years, with most young netminders making their NHL debuts at age 24 or 25. In contrast, an apple tree usually requires at least seven years before fruit appears. This practical reality helps explain why the Red Wings selected Czech goalie Michal Orsulak (79th overall, 2026) after he spent the previous season with Prince Albert in the Western Hockey League. When a tree farm loses a tree, it replants another. The Red Wings traded Sebastian Cossa, creating an opening in their pipeline of goaltending prospects. Orsulak fills that vacancy. “He had a great year personally and, perhaps more importantly, team wise,” Detroit assistant general manager Kris Draper said. “They ran through the Western Hockey League and made it all the way to the WHL Finals. We feel we have a good athlete.” His résumé also includes helping Czechia capture a silver medal at the World Junior Championships. Some evaluators had Orsulak ranked as high as second among the draft-eligible goalies. The Red Wings watched him closely because they were scouting defenseman Justice Christensen, Orsulak’s Prince Albert teammate. They ultimately signed Christensen for their Grand Rapids affiliate. “We had a lot of eyes on (Orsulak) and we were able to watch him play a lot,” Draper said. “And just watching the size, the compete, the way he moves, we felt that, given where we were in the draft, it was a really good pick.” Orsulak stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 228 pounds, having posted a 28-4-4 record for Prince Albert. “I think I’m an athletic goalie,” Orsulak said. “Every goalie is different. If I look at someone like myself and compare him to the NHL, I’d say I model most closely after (Yaroslav) Askarov.” “Czech goalies are hot in the hockey world, including with the Red Wings, who grew to admire Michal Postava this season in Grand Rapids.” “I think we don’t do it (like) robots,” Orsulak said. “Different styles. Everything is different from other countries. We have many goalie coaches. We have a good system in the Czech Republic.” NHL scouts frequently diverge on a goalie’s potential. An independent scouting publication, Red Line Report, which has tracked players for decades, once labeled Orsulak the draft’s most overrated. Red Line ranked him 215th and described him as “overweight, slow, and not clutch.” The Red Wings will likely give Orsulak time to prove that assessment wrong. Even if every evaluator believed Orsulak would reach the NHL, the odds remain steep. Drafting goalies is notoriously a low-probability venture.