Mammoth Signing Sebastian Cossa

Utah, get me two!

Is probably what Sebastian Cossa said in contract negotiations with the Utah Mammoth, because those are the terms of the deal he’s signing with his new team. Two years, $2MM a year, nearly taking up 2% of Utah’s cap hit for 2026-27, per Puckpedia.

The 23-year-old finished the 2025-26 campaign in Grand Rapids of the AHL, posting a 2.33 goals against average and a .915 save percentage in 39 games with the Griffins, the Red Wings’ affiliate. That ended the final season of a three-year, $2.59MM entry-level contract signed back in August of 2021.

By the end of that contract, despite his stellar play in the minor leagues, Cossa only received a single NHL game in 2024, which was and still is his only game in the NHL. What kept Cossa coasting in the AHL was because of who was in front of him on the depth chart. Detroit dealt for John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks, and Cam Talbot served in tandem for 2025-26. Michigan State standout Trey Augustine was on the way as well out of his NCAA playing days, and Michal Postava took the reins in the spring for the Griffins in the Calder Cup Playoffs, even though Cossa had a career high 26 wins.

As a result, Cossa should find his time in Utah. The former first-round pick in 2021 at 15th overall was traded for a first-round pick at this past NHL Draft, 23rd overall in 2026. This pick, originally owned by the Bruins, was used as one of two firsts in the JJ Peterka trade. So Utah took that pick and flipped it for Cossa’s rights. Detroit took forward JP Hurlbert with that selection.

Utah, along with $17.5MM in cap space, has Karel Vejmelka signed through 2029-30 at a $4.75MM cap hit, and signing Cossa makes him the second-highest paid goaltender, with a real shot at seeing extended NHL time with a fresh new start.