2021 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Sebastian Cossa
Jesper Wallstedt and Sebastian Cossa are undoubtedly considered the two best goalies in this draft class. It would be great if the Blackhawks could get either of them.
In my NHL Prospect Profile for Jesper Wallstedt, I talked about the Chicago Blackhawks’ lack of a franchise goaltender in their organization. Wallstedt or Sebastian Cossa could be the Hawks’ next franchise-level goaltender.
Strengths & Weaknesses:
Cossa is a 6’6” and 212-pound goaltender who played for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL last year. He played in almost every game for the Oil Kings (19/23) this season.
The Canadian netminder has a ton of great traits in his game. He can move very well, he has a huge frame, he is almost always square to the puck and he has excellent rebound control.
There aren’t a ton of glaring issues in Cossa’s game. He does struggle on his blocker-side, his decision-making, with and without the puck, isn’t great and he can lose sight of the puck at times. He also played for a stacked Oil Kings team, and while that isn’t his fault, it probably inflated his numbers a bit.
Statistical Profile:
The numbers that Cossa posted over these past two years are just insane. He did play for a stacked team, but a .928 save percentage (Sv%) over two seasons is impressive. He had the best Sv% and goals-against average (GAA) in the entire league. Beating out the likes of Dustin Wolf and Dylan Garand. He was also second in goals-saved above average (GSAA), with an impressive 16.85 mark.
We can see that Cossa, is middle of the pack when it comes to Medium Danger Rebound Rate and High Danger Rebound Rate (ideally you want to be on the far left). That’s still a pretty solid placement for him though.
Where Is He Ranked?
Cossa’s ranking has climbed steadily throughout the year. He’s even higher than Wallstedt on some boards. I’ve seen him at around 30 on some boards and top 10 on others. Elite Prospects’ Consolidated Ranking has him at #18. Here are some of the rankings:
What Others Are Saying:
“The consensus second best goalie in the draft, Cossa led the WHL in save percentage ahead of already drafted prospects Dustin Wolf and Dylan Garand but even those numbers don’t do him justice. Cossa, the 6-6 giant, doesn’t let his size slow him down as he is really good on his edges and displays impressive footwork for a goaltender of that size. His hands are active and he does a really good job of directing rebounds to safe areas. One of the more underrated parts of Cossa’s game is how smart he is in determining what save selection to use and when.”
“His athletic toolkit is very intriguing as a 6-foot-6 goalie who can move very well for that size. He covers a lot of net with his length. He has some quick twitch in his frame in how he moves around the net, and gets in and out of his butterfly. Cossa’s reads are typically great. He loses track of some pucks and can be a bit busy in the net but usually anticipates the play very well. I love his selective aggressiveness with his positioning, and how he takes away angles with his size as well as how well he uses his stick to break up a lot of plays.”
“Bigger goalies often struggle with their movements and their recoveries but neither are an issue for Cossa. His size, positioning (he does a really good job holding his outside edges to be patient on shots) and reflexes help him block and grab a lot of pucks, but it’s his ability to bounce back into his stance or change directions with passes that separates him.”
Film/Video:
Potential & Should The Hawks Draft Him?
Sebastian Cossa has the potential to become a franchise-altering netminder in my opinion. He has both the size and speed to become an elite NHL goaltender, and he has great rebound control and a good glove. Like Wallstedt, most of his skills are well above average, and he should continue to get better.
I would definitely take Cossa at #12 (technically #11), assuming that Wallstedt had already been taken. If I had to choose between the two goaltenders, I would personally take Wallstedt over Cossa, but you can’t really go wrong with either. It sounds like the Hawks have serious interest in Cossa at #12 as well (according to Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman of The Athletic).
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