The Edmonton Oilers have had their fans curious about what changes, if any, they’re going to make between the pipes this season. After an inconsistent showing from both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, some fans hoped the team would try to bring in a new starting goaltender to pair alongside Skinner, but midway through August, the only goaltending transaction the Oilers have made is adding Matt Tomkins as organizational depth.
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This late into the offseason, it doesn’t seem likely that the Oilers will try to acquire a new starting goaltender. There is always a chance they change their mind during the season, or even closer to training camp before the 2025-26 season gets underway, but I wouldn’t expect any major changes anytime soon. With that in mind, though, one thing they could do to create some organizational competition is bring in a prospect goaltender who could be on the cusp of being a backup at the NHL level, and could push Pickard for that job.
One name that immediately comes to mind is Detroit Red Wings’ Sebastian Cossa. They have an overabundance of goaltenders, which gives him no chance of getting a shot at the NHL level next season, and with Trey Augustine likely passing him on the depth chart, he could have a better opportunity on another team. With a previous connection to Edmonton as well, considering he played for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League (WHL), he could find more confidence with the Oilers.
Cossa, who is 22 years old, only has one NHL appearance under his belt. In that game last season, he posted a 2.67 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .857 save percentage (SV%), and picked up a win. In the American Hockey League (AHL) last season, he posted a 2.45 GAA and a .911 SV% through 41 games. He has established himself as a strong goaltender, but considering the lack of opportunity any time soon, a change of scenery could be coming.
What Would a Trade Look Like?
This is an interesting thing to think about. The first comparable we could look at is what the Oilers gave up in exchange for Isaac Howard, which was another strong prospect in Sam O’Reilly, and that might be what it costs to bring in a prospect like Cossa. The Oilers don’t have the strongest prospect pool in the NHL, but parting with someone like Beau Akey or Quinn Hutson could get the deal done.
Depending on what the Red Wings are looking to add, they could be interested in adding a forward like Mattias Janmark to bolster their forward depth. It would likely cost the Oilers another mid-round pick with Janmark to bring Cossa in, but it’s worth it to finally add a promising prospect goalie.
Cossa would have a real shot at making the Oilers’ opening-night lineup. It would be a stretch, but he would be given a fair opportunity to take over for Pickard next season. Even if he doesn’t and he starts in the AHL, he has a ton of potential and could become a future star between the pipes if he continues to develop and fine-tune the small parts of his game.
It’s tough to put a rookie goaltender in a position like that, especially a contending team like the Oilers, but if he comes in and is stable enough to prove he can be trusted to back up Skinner, acquiring him could look like a genius move, and could become the steal of the summer.
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