For the past few years, the Red Wings had the unusual luxury of having two legitimate high-end goaltending prospects in its system.
Sebastian Cossa represented the first major investment when Detroit picked him 15th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. The Red Wings had actually traded up to select him, and at six-foot-six, Cossa possessed the size and athleticism NHL teams covet.
Trey Augustine 's development changed the equation, and eventually, having two potential future NHL starters created a decision rather than enviable depth.
When the Red Wings selected Cossa five years ago, he had a resume that put him on many NHL teams' radars. Fresh off a 17-1-1 record, a 1.57 GAA, and a .941 save percentage with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL, Detroit couldn't pass up on him.
Goaltender development is notoriously unpredictable and often takes longer than skaters. The Red Wings wanted to make sure they invested every second they could in Cossa before they made the call to bring him up to the big club.
Unlike Cossa, Augustine wasn't a first-round draft pick. He was drafted in the second round, 41st overall in 2023 and had a strong international resume with Team USA.
Because of his success at Michigan State, his development accelerated quickly enough that the Red Wings suddenly had another legitimate candidate to become its long-term number one goaltender.
According to NHL.com, Augustine made the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2024, the Big Ten Second All-Star Team in 2024, the Big Ten First All-Star Team in 2025 and 2026, and the NCCA (West) First All-American Team in 2025 and 2026.
His composure and ability to perform in high-pressure situations gave Detroit a nice problem to have. They didn't necessarily sour on Cossa, but Augustine had become too good to ignore.
There's no law against NHL teams carrying multiple goalie prospects, but there are only so many meaningful starts available. Cossa and Augustine both needed development time, and the Red Wings also had to consider their goaltending situation.
Cossa had immense trade value, and Augustine's emergence made that value expendable in a way it hadn't been previously.
Detroit took the risk and dealt Cossa to the Utah Mammoth at the 2026 NHL Draft in exchange for the 23rd overall pick. The Red Wings could end up with a choose your own book adventure when it's all said and done which could look this way:
Scenario A: Augustine becomes the Red Wings' long-term starter and the trade looks brilliant.
Scenario B: Both become quality NHL goalies and the trade becomes more about what Detroit received for Cossa.
Scenario C: Cossa becomes a star while Augustine struggles, and Detroit spends yearas hearing about the goalie it let get away.
And because Cossa was a first-round pick Detroit traded up to acquire, Scenario C would sting considerably more.
Michigan State goaltender Trey Augustine | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Detroit choosing Augustine doesn't automatically mean management believed Cossa couldn't become a good NHL goaltender. It means Detroit had to make an organizational decision based on Augustine plus the return for Cossa vs. keeping Cossa and Augustine.
The Red Wings have spent years searching for its next franchise goaltender and, for a brief period, appeared to have two candidates. The Red Wings decided they didn't need both.
Cossa now gets the opportunity to prove Detroit gave up on him too soon; meanwhile, Augustine gets the considerably heavier burden of proving the Red Wings didn't. Detroit has made their choice.
Now comes the part that could take years to determine: whether they chose the right goalie.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/red-wings/onsi as Did the Red Wings Make the Right Choice Between Trey Augustine and Sebastian Cossa? .
