​The post Red Wings Net Not Yet Settled appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect. The Red Wings traded top prospect netminder Sebastian Cossa to get back into the first round of this year’s draft, selecting forward JP Hurlbert. Drafted in 2021 and developed by the organization over the last five years, it was somewhat surprising that Detroit shipped away Cossa after he had only ever appeared in an NHL game once.
However, Michal Postava, whom Detroit signed out of the Czech league last offseason, had overtaken Cossa as the best goalie in Grand Rapids, carrying the team through their postseason run farther than Cossa had in the previous two years. After a week of free agency, Postava appears poised to earn a real shot at the Red Wings’ backup netminder role behind John Gibson, with only Daniil Tarasov signed alongside him as a veteran depth option.
Detroit clearly wasn’t going to enter the season with Postava alone as a backup plan; he is 27 years old and only in his second year of North American hockey. Gibson started the third most games in a season in his career last year, with 57 appearances. The club faced the challenge of balancing the need for a veteran backup against how much opportunity Postava could secure in the role.
The organization likely doesn’t want a repeat of the Cossa situation, where testing him too late would force waivers. That consideration points toward Tarasov, who has spent much of his career as a backup. Before last year, when injuries to the Florida Panthers’ lineup forced him into 33 games, Tarasov had never started 25 games in a season. Across five seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers, Tarasov has a record of 32-49-9, with a goals-against average consistently above 3.00. Still, Tarasov has shown he can play at the NHL level. If the Red Wings were aiming to send a message to Postava that he isn’t guaranteed the backup job, they might have pursued a more proven option or re-signed Cam Talbot.
By giving themselves flexibility with a one-year, two-million-dollar deal for Tarasov, Detroit could bring Postava up and still send Tarasov down during the season if necessary to manage cap space. If Postava wins the backup job after camp, Tarasov could help shelter a young Trey Augustine in his first professional season. Not many teams want a substantial cap hit buried in the AHL.
Either way, it’s time for Yzerman and the Red Wings to let their young goalies have a chance. While it’s unlikely Postava will supplant Gibson in the lineup, he certainly has both the opportunity and the ability to win the job out of training camp. Postava took over the net in Grand Rapids over the latter part of last season, and injuries had kept him out for a portion of the year, which may have delayed his early ascent. If given a full opportunity, he could prove to be a compelling option for Detroit’s future in goal.