​Detroit Red Wings goalie Sebastian Cossa makes a save against Buffalo Sabres right wing JJ Peterka during the shootout of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
|
Adrian Kraus
Gavin McKenna. Porter Martone. Anton Frondell. Sebastian Cossa?Everyone expects the first three to be in the running for the Calder Trophy next season as the NHL’s rookie of the year. The fourth flies under the radar.Ever since the Detroit Red Wings selected him at No. 15 overall in the 2021 draft, Cossa has been touted as the next great goalie, but goalies take a lot longer than skaters to develop, so he’s watched his peers become stars while his name slowly fades from the memories of hockey fans.After a draft-day trade in June sent him to the Utah Mammoth for a first-round pick, Cossa will finally get his chance in the spotlight.The Mammoth have Cossa slated as their backup goalie for the 2026-27 season. Shortly after acquiring him, they signed him to a two-year contract extension worth $2 million annually.That’s not a bad payday for someone whose NHL experience is limited to less than a full game — two periods, plus an overtime and a shootout.“If you look at his work in the (AHL) over the last few years, he’s at the point where he’s accumulated enough games in the American Hockey League,” said Utah general manager Bill Armstrong. “At his age, it’s absolutely perfect. Now, he’s going to have that opportunity to take that next step.”The Mammoth’s interest in Cossa predates the franchise’s existence.Randy Hansch, a scout on Utah’s staff, was the general manager of the Edmonton Oil Kings team that selected Cossa as a 14-year-old in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft. Armstrong, Hansch and company wanted him in the 2021 NHL Draft, but they used their only first-rounder that year on a different Oil King, Dylan Guenther.They never took their eye off of him, though, and as soon as he became available, they jumped at the opportunity to get him.View this post on InstagramWhat’s the expectation of Sebastian Cossa in 2026-27?The backup goalie position has for the Mammoth, so far, been a little like the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher job at Hogwarts. Every year, someone different is there.But with Cossa and starting goaltender Karel Vejmelka both signed to multi-year deals, Utah hopes to roll with the same duo for the foreseeable future — or at least until Michael Hrabal is ready to step up.Rookie goalies have been ultra-successful in the NHL the last couple of years, and there’s little reason to believe Cossa can’t play at that level.Brandon Bussi posted a shutout in the Stanley Cup-clinching game for the