Edmonton Oilers talking goalie trade with Red Wings: report
The Edmonton Oilers are still looking to improve their goaltending, according to recent reports.
Oilers GM Stan Bowman has been fairly quiet on the goaltending front this summer. Career AHLer Matt Tomkins was added in free agency, but otherwise, it seemed like Edmonton was dead-set on having both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard return for another season in the NHL crease.
Elite Prospects’ Cam Robinson appeared on the Sekeres and Price show earlier this week, where he revealed that the Oilers have their eyes set on a few Detroit Red Wings goalie prospects.
“They’re looking a little more long-term, they’ve got their field of vision a little bit wider,” Robinson said of the Oilers’ goalie search. “I was told that they have contacted Detroit. I believe the first person they asked about was Trey Augustine, and I think that was a non-starter.
“They have a six-foot-six, six-foot-seven, former first-rounder in Sebastian Cossa sitting there.”
It’s an interesting decision by the Oilers management group to be looking for a younger goaltender rather than an established starter. Organizationally, it makes sense to plan for the future, but this team is looking to win a Stanley Cup right now. Still, it is better to have a clear plan for the future than not.
Edmonton’s interest in Augustine makes perfect sense. The 20-year-old has consistently been one of the best goaltenders in the NCAA over the past few seasons and is one of the top goalie prospects in the league. As Robinson noted, however, it doesn’t seem like the Red Wings are eager to move him.
That still leaves Cossa as an interesting trade target. The Red Wings have a bit of an organizational clog in the crease with veterans John Gibson and Cam Talbot taking up the NHL spots, while also having two top prospects in the position in Cossa and Augustine.
Cossa has looked good in Detroit’s system since being picked 15th overall in the 2021 NHL draft. The 22-year-old has posted save percentages of at least .911 in all three of his full pro seasons (two in the AHL and one in the ECHL). However, with Augustine looking to have a lot more promise earlier in his development, perhaps Cossa could shake loose for the Oilers.
880 CHED’s Bob Stauffer has also been talking about Edmonton’s potential interest in the former Oil Kings goaltender, giving his thoughts on what the Red Wings may want in return on a recent episode of OilersNow.
“If I were Detroit, I’d wanna get a first-rounder back,” Stauffer said. “I mean, they drafted him with a mid-first round pick. I would think that would be what they kind of be looking for in return, but I have no idea [what Red Wings GM] Steve Yzerman [is thinking].”
Edmonton was rumoured to have a massive interest in Cossa during his draft year before the Red Wings took him on the board, so the fact that the organization is still eyeing him up should not come as a surprise.
A first-round pick would be a hefty price for the Oilers to pay for an unproven NHL goaltender, and it would take a massive trade chip off the board before next year’s deadline.
Cossa would, however, become an immediate contender for the Oilers’ backup role and has the potential to jump right into the NHL if he has an impressive training camp. It’s the definition of a high-risk, high-reward deal.
We’ll see if Bowman wants to roll the dice further on his goalie situation.