Edmonton Oilers linked to Detroit Red Wings goalie after insider reveals his availability

Chris Johnston reported Sebastian Cossa as a potential trade target for Edmonton, and the hockey world immediately latched onto the Oil Kings connection.

The 23-year-old spent three WHL seasons playing in downtown Edmonton before Detroit drafted him 15th overall in 2021.

He posted a .915 save percentage with Grand Rapids this season. The storyline practically writes itself.

But the question nobody seems to be asking is the most important one. Why is a former first-round pick available at all?

Detroit isn't moving Cossa because of a roster crunch at the NHL level. John Gibson posted a .902 season and Cameron Talbot is a pending free agent.

The Red Wings don't have an established franchise goalie blocking the path.

They're moving Cossa because Trey Augustine made the decision easy. The Michigan State product signed his entry-level contract in March after winning back-to-back Big Ten Goaltender of the Year awards and earning a Hobey Baker finalist nod.

Craig Button ranked him the fifth-best prospect in all of hockey. Augustine arrived in Grand Rapids and the organization's future in net was settled overnight.

Johnston himself noted that Cossa struggled to get playing time at the end of the AHL season behind Grand Rapids teammate Michal Postava.

A 15th overall pick who can't hold his AHL crease isn't a surplus asset. He's a prospect trending sideways.

Edmonton finished 28th in the NHL with a .878 team save percentage. Tristan Jarry delivered a .882 across 33 games.

Connor Ingram managed .898. Calvin Pickard bottomed out at .870. Stan Bowman is desperate for an answer.

Cossa has size and athleticism. He has familiarity with the city. What he doesn't have is the endorsement of the organization that developed him.

Detroit watched him every day for four professional seasons and chose someone else.

That doesn't mean Cossa can't eventually become an NHL starter. It means Edmonton needs to ask why the team with the closest view decided he wasn't their guy before assuming he can be theirs.