Utah Locks Up Former Red Wings Goalie Prospect for Two Years Right After Draft Trade

The Utah Mammoth didn’t waste any time getting their new goaltender under contract.

Just days after acquiring Sebastian Cossa from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for the 23rd overall pick at the 2026 NHL Draft, general manager Bill Armstrong signed the 23-year-old to a two-year, $4 million extension on Tuesday, per PuckPedia.

Cossa was a pending restricted free agent, and the Mammoth clearly wanted to avoid any drama there. He’s expected to step in as the backup behind Karel Vejmelka, replacing Vitek Vanecek who is headed to free agency on Wednesday.

Why Detroit Moved On

The Red Wings had a logjam in net. John Gibson and Cam Talbot are both established veterans in Motown. On top of that, Michigan State’s Trey Augustine is nearly done with his NCAA career and looking pro-ready. There just wasn’t a path for Cossa to get regular starts in Detroit anytime soon.

So the Wings cashed in for draft capital. That works out fine for Utah, who gets a 23-year-old with serious upside.

Cossa’s Numbers in the AHL

The Hamilton, Ontario native put up legit numbers for the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2025-26. Over 39 games he went 26-8-4 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. He also posted five shutouts. That’s not just good. That’s the kind of season that makes a front office comfortable handing out a multi-year deal.

He made his NHL debut back in December 2024 but only got one game before heading back to the AHL. Not much to judge there, but the raw tools are obvious. He was the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft for a reason.

What the Tandem Looks Like Now

Vejmelka is signed through 2030 at $4.75 million per year and coming off a strong season. That spot is his for now. But Cossa should start pushing for more starts as he gets comfortable at the NHL level. The Mammoth aren’t saying whether they’ll bring in another goalie via free agency or maybe even re-sign Vanecek. As things stand right now, opening night looks like Vejmelka and Cossa.

Utah made the playoffs for the first time this spring. They lost in six games to the Golden Knights, who ended up winning the Western Conference. The team wants to take another step forward. Having a young goalie with Cossa’s ceiling in the pipeline is one way to do that.