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Red Wings would be 'in a lot of trouble' without their goaltending depth
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- Red Wings would be 'in a lot of trouble' without their goaltending depth
While John Gibson recovers from an upper-body injury, Michal Postava stands to gain ground with the Detroit Red Wings.
Postava was on the ice long after the morning skate ended on Thursday, Nov. 5, honing his skills with the help of goaltending coach Michael Leighton. Postava was slated to back up Daniil Tarasov in the evening's game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
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Postava was called up Wednesday, the day after Gibson was injured late in the first period of Tuesday's 4-2 loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning . Coach Todd McLellan said Gibson was still being evaluated Thursday and is day-to-day.
Having Postava in the system is like having an ace up one's sleeve.
Detroit Red Wings goaltender Michal Postava (35) makes a save on Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the shootout at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026.
"Michal in particular, ever since he's come to North America, has done a real good job of working his way up in the Grand Rapids situation to taking over there and now working his way up to here," McLellan said after the morning skate. "His effort in Edmonton was very good. It was inspiring for the players, and when a young goalie can come up and do that, it's a real positive thing."
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This is Postava's second stint with the Wings, having been called up under emergency conditions during their trip out west after Tarasov suffered an injury during a practice on Oct. 21. Postava flew from Grand Rapids to Vancouver the morning of Oct. 22 and ended up relieving Gibson for the third period against the Canucks after the veteran was unable to play when he got something in his eye. Two nights later, Postava earned his first career NHL victory in his first start, at the Edmonton Oilers , stopping 24 shots in regulation and overtime before turning away all three shootout attempts he faced. He was sent back to the minors when the Wings returned to Detroit.
Now he's back, and even just practicing with the Wings is a boost.
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"First time was quick, and I am just happy to be there every day," Postava said. "Being here, it helps me to save these shots. It's hard shots and some clever shots. So it's been good working on it, and it helped me."
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Postava is a great story: A free agent signee in the summer of 2025, he received a two-year contract. He was earmarked to back up Sebastian Cossa, the franchise's pick at No. 15 in 2021. Cossa did play the majority of the games during the 2025-26 regular season – 39, to 25 by Postava – but when Cossa struggled down the stretch, Postava was handed the net and excelled, and he hasn't stopped.
He was just selected as the AHL Goaltender of the Month for October after going 4-0 last month with a 1.25 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage. He joins Detroit with a perfect 5-0-0 record with a 1.20 goals-against average and a 0.955 save percentage in five starts with the Griffins during the 2026-27 season.
To have three goaltenders they trust is a big comfort for the Wings.
"I can't speak for every team, but the ones that I've been on, you plan for three NHL-caliber people," McLellan said. "There's goaltenders, journeymen goaltenders that are in the minor leagues making one-way money, simply because the organizations need that depth. The puck's coming so fast and players are crashing the net and goaltenders are so athletic, there's injuries that occur. All of a sudden, you can be in a lot of trouble if you don't have them."
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The Wings' next game is Saturday, at the Colorado Avalanche. Depending on how things unfold with Gibson, maybe Postava gets a chance there to make his second start. Under any circumstance, he is making inroads on showing the Wings he belongs full time in Detroit.
"That would be fantastic for me," Postava said. "But I don't think about it. I just – I always say I just try and work hard every day and be the best version of me."
Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Red Wings would be 'in a lot of trouble' without their goaltending depth
