Mammoth, Red Wings Swap Sebastian Cossa, Pick #23

The Detroit Red Wings have traded goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for 23rd overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. Cossa has sat on Detroit’s trade block for much of the summer, even connected to the Mammoth in early June. Detroit subsequently used the 22nd-overall pick to draft winger J.P. Hurlbert out of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.

The two sides will find a deal on the draft floor, sending Cossa to a vacant backup role behind Karel Vejmelka in Utah. The young netminder has been vying for an NHL try-out through the last two seasons – but faced a road block in the form of John Gibson, Cam Talbot, and Alex Lyon. That crowd bumped Cossa into the starting role for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, where he stood as a pillar of consistency. Cossa, who ended his junior career with back-to-back .913 save percentages, managed to match that number through his fisrt two seasons at the pro level – first in 46 games of the ECHL’s 2022-23 season, then in 40 games of the 2023-24 AHL campaign. He finally broke his mark in 2024-25, tumbling slightly to a .911 in 41 games, only to improve to a .915 in 39 games this season. Cossa has only lost 33 of the 123 games he has played at the AHL level.

The Hamilton-native has struggled in the postseason despite year-over-year consistency. He was knocked out of the starter’s crease by Michal Postava during the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, likely a motivator for Detroit’s selling of one of the league’s stronger goalie prospects. Another motivator will be their recent signing of top goalie prospect Trey Augustine, who recorded 66 wins and a .922 save percentage through 99 games, and three seasons, at Michigan State University. Augustine was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award in 2026 and earned the NCAA’s Top Goaltender award in each of the last two seasons. He debuted with the Griffins at the end of the 2025-26 season and should step seamlessly into Cossa’s role – albeit with pressure from Postava – next season.

Meanwhile, Detroit will move forward with one of the draft’s sharpest goal-scorers. Hurlbert reached 42 goals and 97 points in 68 games with Kamloops this season. He was quiet away from the puck, but quick to turn on the jets once the puck came his way, and often turned fast drives up the ice into stellar scoring chances. With a style not dissimilar from Red Wings veterans Patrick Kane or Alex DeBrincat, Hurlbert could find his way into a hardy NHL role even despite a one-dimensional style.