The Detroit Red Wings have been on the cusp of a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a number of years now, but no matter what Steve Yzerman does, this team has simply struggled to take the next step, missing the post-season for 10 straight seasons now.
Then, their off-season started in shocking fashion, with long-time captain and Detroit native Dylan Larkin requesting a trade, leaving the immediate future of the franchise in a state of flux. Heading into the 2026 NHL Draft, the team didn’t have a first-round pick, and with the team needing elite talent to move forward, there was plenty of speculation around a potential trade.
Red Wings Trade Sebastian Cossa for a First-Round Pick
GettySebastian Cossa of the Detroit Red Wings.
One name that constantly came up in reports was goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa, who the team acquired with the No. 15 overall pick back in the 2021 NHL Draft. After another dominant campaign in the American Hockey League (.915 save percentage, 2.33 GAA), the Red Wings front office had a huge decision to make on Cossa’s future, with the team needing to decide whether to make him the future starter or move him for an asset.
At the 2026 NHL Draft, they clearly made their call as they chose the latter, dealing Cossa to the Utah Mammoth with the No. 23 overall pick, as the team may have believed he wasn’t going to be the long-term starter.
Obviously, this is a massive risk for a team that’s relying on veteran John Gibson as their starter, but with the Red Wings wanting to add a future prospect that could be a star at the NHL level, they gave up on Cossa, with the Utah Mammoth seemingly looking for Cossa to play a role for them immediately moving forward.
Red Wings Draft J.P. Hurlbert at No. 23 Overall
The Red Wings wasted no time in adding a potentially elite piece of the future, as they have used the No. 23 overall pick to select J.P. Hurlbert of the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL, who quickly revealed his love of Detroit and the Red Wings.
Yzerman selects an NHLe darling here. 97 points in 68 WHL games is very good for a player drafted outside of the top 20. The NCAA will be a big test for him next year.
This past season, Hurlbert posted 42 goals and 97 points in just 68 games played, and with good size at 6-f00t-0, 183 pounds, he immediately becomes one of the organization’s most exciting young players and prospects. However, he doesn’t help the team immediately, and given the other type of packages that have been brought up in potential trade talks with Cossa, it’s a surprise to see the organization go for futures, rather than an NHL ready player that could potentially help them replace their captain moving forward.
One day, we could look back on this move as an absolute steal for Detroit, as there are no guarantees even after a goaltender plays incredibly well at the NHL level, but the team clearly believe in Hurlbert’s potential as a future top-six player at the highest level, and now, they’ve found a top prospect and potential future star for a goaltender they worked hard to develop.
Red Wings Acquire Massive Asset for Goaltender Sebastian Cossa