Detroit Red Wings Roundtable
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Who Is The Red Wings Goalie Of The Future?
Who is the goalie of the future?
The goaltending position is the most important one on the ice. So the more arrows an organization has in its quiver, the better.
The Detroit Red Wings have many goaltending prospects, signed and unsigned. Today, we will ask which of these goalies is the goaltender of the future for the Red Wings?
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Some of these goalie prospects are untouchable, but at least one Red Wings prospect has the potential to surprise. So here is the list of goaltender prospects, ranked from least likely to most likely (and organized by tiers).
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Least Likely To Be Red Wings Goalie Of The Future
6. Gage Alexander
Gage Alexander has a long way to go to get a sniff of NHL action. The 6-foot-6 22-year old goalie hasn’t had a lot of opportunity this season.
Alexander has only played five games for the Reading Royals of the ECHL. He’s been great in the opportunities he’s been given, posting a 4-1 record, a 2.81 goals against average (GAA), and a .913 save percentage (SV%).
He’s going to need a lot more at-bats to make it to the AHL, let alone the NHL.
5. Landon Miller
Landon Miller has more runway ahead of him, being Alexander’s junior by three years. Even though he has worse numbers than the aforementioned Alexander, he will be moving on from the OHL next season.
His performance took a step back for the 2024-25 season. In 37 games, he has a record of 13-17-1, a 4.07 GAA, an .877 SV%, and one shutout. The year before he boasted a record of 17-6-0, a 2.79 GAA, an .889 SV%, and two shutouts.
He is only ranked higher than Alexander because of his age, as the dip in production this year is cause for pause.
Dark Horse Candidates For Future Red Wings Starter
4. Rudy Guimond
Rudy Guimond probably isn’t on anyone’s radar for the Red Wings future starting goaltender. However, there are reasons to be optimistic about his (potential) future impact on the NHL team.
The 6-foot-3 goalie is only 19 and split his season between the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. Cedar Rapids had a tumultuous start to their season and was granted an opportunity with the Wildcats.
Guimond joined the Wildcats on December 8th. Since then, he has a record of 16-0, a 1.73 GAA, a .940 SV%, and three shutouts. If he can get into the AHL before the next goalie on this list, he is definitely a goalie to keep an eye on.
3. Carter Gylander
Carter Gylander has a better chance than Guimond for a few reasons. For starters, he has four years of solid numbers at the NCAA in his rearview mirror.
This season, he has played 32 games in the ECHL. Gylander has had good success, with a 19-8-5 record, a 2.65 GAA, a .906 SV%, and two shutouts.
He’s also played three games for the Grand Rapids Griffins this year. He will need to secure regular playing time with the Griffins to be in contention for Red Wings starting goalie in a few years.
Most Likely To Be Red Wings Starting Goalie
2. Sebastian Cossa
Sebastian Cossa has been the subject of much discussion since the Red Wings drafted him in 2021. This season, he’s been a strong force in the AHL.
In 36 games, he has a record of 19-12-6, with a 2.42 GAA, .912 SV%, and one shutout. Cossa has even gotten a sniff of the NHL, coming in relief of Ville Husso and earning his first NHL win.
He may have size, athleticism, and a great AHL record going for him. However, the last goalie on this list has a couple of things that Cossa does not.
1. Trey Augustine
Trey Augustine is a remarkable goaltender having a remarkable season. The 20-year-old is only in his second year of NCAA and took a major step forward.
Last season, he boasted a record of 23-9-2, a 2.96 GAA, a .915 SV%, and three shutouts in 35 games. He has played a few fewer games this year, with better personal stats. In 30 games, he has a 2.08 GAA, a .924 SV%, and three shutouts. Augustine had a record of 19-7-4.
Augustine was also phenomenal at the World Juniors, where Team USA claimed gold for the second consecutive year. He was lights out, winning all four games he played in tournament play with a 1.75 GAA and a .936 SV%.
His penchant for performing at a high level during high-pressure games, his improving performance at the NCAA-level, and the fact that he’s only 20 years old, have him poised to take over the Red Wings starter role one day – and keep it.
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Red Wings Vladimir Tarasenko's Surprisingly Disappointing Year
“No one told you life was going to be this way.”
I don’t think this was the season that anyone was expecting.
The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Vladimir Tarasenko fresh off a Stanley Cup Championship with the Florida Panthers. The deal was worth $4.75 million for two seasons.
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It’s fair to say that things haven’t gone smoothly, with tensions escalating to the point that Tarasenko was rumored to be on the trade block.
The Red Wings were expecting a certain production level that Tarasenko hasn’t lived up to. Instead, they’ve witnessed the worst season of his career.
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Over his last three years before the current season, Tarasenko recorded 55, 50, and 82 points in 76, 69, and 75 games, respectively. He produced 0.72, 0.72, and 1.09 points per game pace.
A $4.75 million contract doesn’t scream point per game expectations. However, assuming that the team was looking for production in the 45-55 point range is reasonable. Or something in the ballpark of his production last season.
The Tarasenko That The Red Wings Got
This season has featured career-worsts (or close) in nearly every category for Tarasenko.
He is on pace for 35 points. Tarasenko recorded less than 35 points in only three seasons: 2012-13, 2019-20, and 2020-21.
The 2012-13 season was his rookie year, where he scored 19 points in 38 games. If he had played 82 games, he was on pace for 41 points.
He was injured in 2019-20 and 2020-21. Tarasenko played only 34 games combined across those two seasons, recording 24 points.
This year? He has 31 points in 72 games. Tarasenko has a career 12.6 shooting percentage. This season, he’s shooting 8.0 percent (2nd worst in his career).
To add to the disappointing recipe, Tarasenko is shooting less than ever. He has averaged 2.9 shots on goal in his career, but this season, he is averaging a career-worst 1.7 shots on goal per game.
It’s fair to say that the 33-year-old sniper hasn’t lived up to expectations. And the Red Wings knew that they weren’t getting prime Tarasenko when they signed him.
Instead, they’ve received one of the most disappointing seasons from a forward that they have signed in recent memory.
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Does Austin Watson Have a Future with the Red Wings?
In Saturday's win over the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings forward Austin Watson had five times as many minutes in penalties (15) as he did on the ice (3:06), but the six-foot-four, 238-pound winger made his presence felt in the form of an early fight that helped energize the Red Wings in the opening minutes.
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Not quite a minute after Alex DeBrincat fought Andrew Peeke, Watson dropped the gloves with Jakub Lauko. Watson hammered Lauko with right hands at hand center ice, wrestled him to the ice, then saluted the Little Caesars Arena crowd as he skated over to the penalty box to join DeBrincat.
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There are few ways to endear yourself to a team or a fanbase as straightforward as a fight. As coach Todd McLellan put it, "[DeBrincat] and Watty energized the group and the arena."
"It was awesome," added Lucas Raymond. "I've seen Cat chuck 'em a couple times now, and he's got some fire in home, so obviously huge. It fires us up, gets the crowd into it right away, and Watty stepping up as well is awesome to see. I think that just goes to show how much guys care and how committed guys are to this."
On that basis, it's not hard to see where Watson (who signed a one-year, two-way contract extension earlier this month) can help a Red Wings team that has at times allowed itself to be flustered by heavy, physical opponents.
However, Watson's limited ice time (which McLellan explained by saying, "It was nothing that he did or didn't do. It was just shortening the bench up a little bit.") also offers a reminder of his limitations as a player. The good news for the Red Wings is that Watson is a low cost option under team control.
How do you think Detroit should use Watson moving forward? Let us know in the comments!
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Ex-Red Wing James Reimer Heating Up
Goalies are the most critical players on the ice.
Scoring goals is nice – but it doesn't mean anything if your netminder is not up to snuff.
Former Detroit Red Wings goalie James Reimer has had a strange season. He started with the Buffalo Sabres, was put on waivers, claimed by the Anaheim Ducks, placed on waivers again, and finally claimed by the Sabres.
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Although Reimer hasn't played much this year, he's started four consecutive games. Despite starting the year terribly, things are turning around for him.
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He's posted a save percentage (SV%) of .900, .917, .938, and .920 with a 3-1 record in four consecutive starts.
He’s hovering around league average for the season. In 17 games, Reimer has a record of 5-8-2, a 2.94 goals against average (GAA) and a .901 SV%.
Digging into MoneyPuck numbers gives us a few more observations. Reimer leads all Sabres goalies in Goals Saved Above Expected with 8.1. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi have GSAx of -5.6 and -8, respectively.
Amongst all NHL goalies who have played at least 15 games, Reimer ranks 26th in GSAx. The only Red Wings goalie who has done better in this metric is Cam Talbot, who ranks 22nd with 10.6.
In his last season with the Red Wings, he had similar numbers. Reimer boasted an 11-8-2 record with a 3.11 GAA, a .904 SV%, and two shutouts.
While it wasn’t a mistake to let Reimer go, his recent hot streak is proof that he still has some game to bring to the table. But, just like all things, it probably won’t last very long.
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Despite Goaltending Struggles, Red Wings Don't Perceive Cossa as Solution (Yet)
By no means was goaltending the reason the Detroit Red Wings lost 4–3 to the Ottawa Senators Thursday night, but it certainly didn't help. Starter Alex Lyon conceded on two of the the first three shots he faced. When asked whether the defense in front of Lyon or Lyon's own struggles were the cause of the early deficit, a visibly frustrated Todd McLellan said only, "Both. Both."
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For the month of March, Detroit's team save percentage is just .867, while the Red Wings have conceded 3.46 goals a game. That's not an easy recipe with which to win games, and, well, Detroit has won many: just three wins from 13 games and all 10 losses in regulation. However, despite the Red Wings' struggles in net, it does not appear the team has any appetite for giving top goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa (a 2021 first round draft pick) a look in the NHL crease. Not yet anyway.
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The first indicator that Detroit might be feeling something less than optimistic about Cossa's (immediate) future came in the form of the trade deadline acquisition of Petr Mrazek from Chicago. That the Red Wings would bring in goaltending help for the stretch run needn't indicate doubt over Cossa's future, but the fact that Mrazek is signed through the 2025-26 season starts to evoke that uncertainty. In explaining the move, general manager Steve Yzerman said that in acquiring Mrazek, he was solidifying his '25-26 tandem: Mrazek and Cam Talbot. Sure, Cossa could play his way into that rotation, but the unsubtle suggestion was that Cossa didn't factor into Yzerman's plans in net for the coming season.
Cossa was an emergency call-up for the final game of Detroit's recent road trip, but when it ended and Talbot returned to health, Cossa went right back to Grand Rapids. In explaining that process after Thursday morning's skate, McLellan suggested Cossa wouldn't get an NHL look to close out the season unless injury necessitated it, saying, "The emergency conditions will see to exist once Cam [gets healthy], so the simple answer to that question is no, unless we get into an emergency situation again," said McLellan, when asked whether there was a chance to see Cossa start for Detroit down the stretch. "That's just the way it goes now with roster moves."
None of this should be taken to mean that Cossa's NHL career is doomed before it even really begins. However, as the Red Wings limp toward the end of the regular season, the organization's actions and words have made clear that it doesn't perceive Cossa as a solution to its struggles in net. Not yet anyway.
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Follow all Red Wings news at https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wingsGraemeMay 11, 2024
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