The Grand Rapids Griffins' starting goaltender from last season was traded to the Utah Mammoth on draft day, a move that has massive implications for the Detroit Red Wings as well as the rest of the American Hockey League.
Free agency is in full swing for the NHL and its American Hockey League affiliates. Yet, the big move, at least the one that still lingers as the dust settles, is the Sebastian Cossa trade on draft night. It’s the one that impacts a lot both at the AHL and NHL levels.
It says a lot about the Detroit Red Wings and the Grand Rapids Griffins. It says a lot about general manager Steven Yzerman and the shortcomings of the Yzerplan. It indicates how the goaltending market will shape up and what’s to come. It also speaks to the AHL and how teams can get the most out of their prospects.
The Shortcomings Of The Yzerplan
There’s this belief that some GMs have that a great organization can never have enough prospects. The talent pool and the pipeline bringing young players to the NHL can never be too deep. It turns out that’s not the case, and some teams, to put it bluntly, are hoarding prospects.
The Red Wings entered the 2026 trade deadline on the verge of snapping one of the longest playoff droughts in the NHL. They have prospects on top of prospects, plenty in the system to make a blockbuster move, and they didn’t.
On top of that, they have three goaltenders in their system to move. Cossa was the primary starter with the Griffins while Michal Postava was the backup who ultimately took over the starting job during the Calder Cup Playoffs. Throw in Trey Augustine, who spent most of last season in college but joined the Griffins late, and Yzerman had goaltenders to move and chose to move none of them.
It’s part of Yzerman’s difficult relationship with the position, one that’s troubled him since he became the Wings GM. He’s never found a true number one starter despite making all the moves, including a John Gibson trade, to find one. It’s why Yzerman kept three in the system, hoping one of them would work out.
The problem is that he eventually had to make a move with one of them. By the time he did, it was too late, and now, the Red Wings enter the offseason with pieces to sell instead of players to add, especially after top-line center Dylan Larkin demanded a trade. The surprise is that the Red Wings landed a first-round pick in the Cossa trade, which says a lot about the value of a potential NHL starter.
The Market On AHL Goaltending
The Cossa trade was a preview for the offseason. The Red Wings demanded a first-round pick for their top goaltending prospect, and the Utah Mammoth met that price. For the Mammoth, they need a backup, and to acquire a goaltender with a high upside, they had to pay up.
A week later, the Edmonton Oilers acquired Devon Levi from the Buffalo Sabres and, more accurately, the Rochester Americans. They didn’t give up a first-rounder, yet they still handed over a significant haul for Levi, someone who has shown promise in the AHL and can be great in the NHL someday.
Looking ahead, teams will keep an eye on the AHL goaltenders, as younger options who aren’t major cap hits either. The question is whether NHL teams will target them and be willing to hand over draft capital to do so. The goaltender is the toughest to predict from the AHL to the NHL, yet the position was a weak link around the league last season. So, teams are starting to look elsewhere for help, and elsewhere for now is the league below.
The Best Way To Utilize AHL Prospects
When it comes to goaltenders specifically, teams have time to make a decision. However, they must pull the trigger at some point. They must send the message that they have a path for their young up-and-coming goaltender.
It’s what the Boston Bruins did with Michael DiPietro to start free agency. They traded Joonas Korpisalo to open up a spot at the NHL level. It’s how the Pittsburgh Penguins are operating as well, allowing the 22-year-old Sergei Murashov to join the team next season. The Washington Capitals might do the same with Clay Stevenson, although he’s a different case as an older goaltender who isn’t a prospect anymore.
Goaltenders take time to develop and are usually on their second contract by the time they force the NHL team’s hand. That’s not the case with skaters. They force teams to make a decision by the time their entry-level contract is up.
For NHL teams, it’s about finding who the true prospects are, the ones who will be difference makers for the future, and who aren’t. At some point, these prospects must be traded or have space on the roster for them. Otherwise, teams are not making the most of their prospect pool.
The Red Wings put themselves in a difficult position with the way they handled Cossa. They developed him into an NHL-caliber player but never benefited from it. Now, they are paying for it. The rest of the teams will take note.
