At one point, many were curious why the Detroit Red Wings had so many goalies in their system. We now know why.
Injuries to Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon have resulted in Ville Husso and Sebastian Cossa serving as Detroit’s current goaltending tandem, with Jack Campbell and Carter Gylander holding down the fort in Grand Rapids.
Husso is expected to start Tuesday in Boston. Anything beyond that is up in the air according to head coach Derek Lalonde.
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With Detroit’s top goaltending prospect now up with the big league club, many are now wondering when/if he’ll see game action. Fans are also wondering what’s best for him given the current state of the team. Given this, I wanted to evaluate Detroit’s options and see what made the most sense.
Outcomes of the Red Wings Starting Cossa
To determine whether or not the Red Wings should give Cossa a start, I employed a scenario planning exercise. With this, we can look at the possible outcomes, weigh their impacts, and form an educated opinion on what should be done. Let’s dive in.
Red Wings Do/Don’t Start Cossa
The first part of this scenario planning exercise is splitting Detroit’s decision on whether to start Cossa while he’s up with the team.
If they do, then we move on to the next outcome split. If not, then the point is moot. No harm, no foul – either Lyon or Talbot are healthy or Husso starts again.
Outcomes:
- Red Wings start Cossa
- Red Wings don’t start Cossa and he’s reassigned to Grand Rapids when a goalie is healthy
Cossa Plays Well/Doesn’t Play Well
Next up, we’ll look at how Cossa could perform in the event that he starts a game. This is independent of the Red Wings winning/playing well. A goalie can look bad and win, and look great and lose.
To determine this, we’d look at how Cossa tracked the puck, if he kept pace with the speed of the game well, if he stayed square, if he controlled his rebounds appropriately, and if he managed the crease well. Also by the quality of the goals that went in, not the total number.
If Cossa plays well, then that’s great – Detroit’s top goalie prospect looked the part of an NHLer. It could also mean another start for the young netminder.
On the other hand, if Cossa doesn’t play well, then he has motivation to grow his game further. From…
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