NHL Insider weighs in on debate between better goalie prospect in Detroit [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings]'s Sebastian Cossa or Trey Augustine. With the NHL off-season nearing its end, attention is beginning to shift toward the future of several franchises. In a recent episode of the Athletic Hockey Show [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6493698/2025/08/27/detroit-red-wings-nhl-pipeline-rankings-2025/], veteran writers Max Bultman and Corey Pronman took a deep dive into each team's prospect pipeline, offering rankings and in-depth analysis of how the league’s up-and-coming talent stacks up. One of the most intriguing points of conversation was the debate between two of the Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings] top prospects in goaltenders Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine. Since being drafted in 15th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Cossa has been routinely mentioned as one of the franchise's top prospects. However, this has changed as of late with a growing number of experts believing that Augustine is the netminder to look out for. This became clear when in The Hockey News' recent Yearbook issue [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/exclusive-red-wings-2025-26-complete-team-preview-released-in-thn-yearbook], writer Bob Duff ranked Augustine as Detroit [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings]'s fourth-best prospect while having Cossa down at the six spot in the order. More Red Wings: Danielson “More Toolsy” Than Marco Kasper Says NHL Insider [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/danielson-more-toolsy-than-marco-kasper-says-nhl-insider] Pronman added to this debate with his recent ranking of the Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings] prospect pipeline and put Cossa back ahead of Augustine. He explained his decision by questioning the size of the 6-foot-1 Augustine, saying few goalie prospects have succeeded at his size. Cossa stands at a towering 6-foot-6 and Pronman believes has shown more bright spots in his pro development. "Cossa, I know he's been up and down as a pro, but he's a huge goalie who moves pretty well and has at least shown he can translate up a level a little bit at times," Pronman said "With Augustine, he's been a tremendous Junior goalie, a tremendous college goalie, but he's not a premier quick Twitch type, which at that size is a little concerning." Pronman would go on to make comparisons to goaltenders like Boston's Jeremy Swayman, explaining that there are success stories at Augustine's size but views his player profile so far as having "some risk variables where I'd be hesitant to elevate him to that next level." Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/] team site to stay connected to the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news], game-day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/game-day]coverage, and player features [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/players]. This is an unpopular opinion as Augustine is coming off another dominant season with Michigan State, finishing with a 19-7-4 record along with a 2.08 goals against average and a .924 save percentage through 30 starts. The 20-year-old Michigan native has regularly been viewed as the nation's best junior goaltender with six different appearances on the international stage. Playing for Team USA, Augustine posted phenomenal numbers, going 9-1-0 with a 2.09 goals-against average at the U-18 level, and following it up with a 12-2-0 record and a 2.42 GAA at the U-20 level. More Red Wings: Red Wings Player Ratings Revealed in NHL 26: Larkin, Raymond Lead the Pack [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/red-wings-player-ratings-revealed-in-nhl-26-larkin-raymond-lead-the-pack] Augustine may be an elite goaltender some day but he still is far behind Cossa in terms of development as he's two years younger and will likely return to NCAA hockey for one or two more seasons followed by his first pro season with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL. This was the path of Cossa as he's already played in 84 games with the Griffins and has produced numbers like a 44-25-15 record with a 2.52 GAA and a .909 save percentage. His recent play has inserted himself into the conversation for the Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings] backup goalie job behind John Gibson with Griffins head coach Dan Watson telling The Hockey News [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/detroit-ahl-coach-says-cossa-will-be-firmly-in-the-mix-for-red-wings-backup-role] that he believes Cossa will be firmly in the conversation for the role this upcoming season. More Red Wings: Sandin-Pellikka Can’t Contain Excitement For Red Wings Training Camp [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/players/axel-sandin-pellikka-can-t-contain-excitement-for-red-wings-training-camp] As the Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings] continue to build toward a competitive future, the battle between Cossa and Augustine remains one of the most fascinating storylines in their prospect pipeline. While the debate between these two promising netminders will likely persist for years, one thing is clear: Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings] fans won’t have to wait long before NHL numbers start rolling in for at least one of them. Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwnuDfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] favorites.
