Elliotte Friedman reports the Utah Mammoth acquired goalie Sebastian Cossa from the Red Wings in exchange for the No. 23 pick.
The deal is clean. Per Friedman, Utah sends the 23rd selection to Detroit and gets the young goaltender in return.
A word on Cossa. He's a young goalie prospect, so this is a bet on upside in the crease, not the addition of a proven starter.
For Utah, that bet fits. The Mammoth are a rising team at 15th under Andre Tourigny, and gambling a pick on a young netminder's ceiling is a sensible swing at their future in net.
For Detroit, it's about ammunition. Steve Yzerman's group turns a goalie prospect into a first-round pick, a useful chip in a busy summer.
Friedman confirmed the swap.
-
A goalie bet for Utah, draft ammo for Detroit
There's a funny wrinkle here. Just days ago, a fan floated whether the Oilers should trade for Cossa. Instead he's a Mammoth, a reminder that the market decides these things, not the hashtags.
The Detroit context is the bigger story. The Red Wings are knee-deep in the Larkin and DeBrincat conversations, so stacking picks fits a team weighing larger moves.
The value works both ways. A prospect goalie for a late first is a fair price. Utah pays a pick for potential, Detroit cashes a crowded-crease asset for a selection.
Neither side overreached. It's the kind of logical, lower-profile trade that gets done on draft day while the marquee names hog the spotlight.
Here's my read: sensible business all around. Utah bets on a young goalie's ceiling, Detroit adds a chip while it sorts out its forward group. No blockbuster, just a clean swap that helps both.
So the draft churn is officially underway.
For Detroit, the bigger questions still loom, and a fresh first-rounder only adds to what Yzerman can work with on Larkin and DeBrincat. Small move, bigger picture.
Did Utah make a smart bet adding Cossa for the 23rd pick?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Edmonton Oilers are going after a number one goalie as a major opening appears
