The Detroit Red Wings lost the first game of their 2024-25 season to the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 6-3. Starting goalie Ville Husso was taken out of the game after giving up four goals in 25 minutes played and was replaced by Cam Talbot. Talbot was signed to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.5 million on the first day of NHL free agency. While it is only one game, there are questions about whether the Red Wings can contend with the Penguins, who are thought to be hovering around the playoff bubble this season.
Due to having goalies ahead of Husso in their depth chart, the St. Louis Blues traded him to the Red Wings in exchange for the number 73 overall pick in the 2022 NHL entry draft in July of 2022. Upon being acquired by the Red Wings, Husso signed a three-year contract extension with the team. In three seasons for the Red Wings, Husso has started 76 games.
Husso earned the start after battling back from several injuries during the previous season. He will make the $4.75 million for the 2024-25 season, the most of the three goalies currently on the Red Wings roster, and thus the Ilitch family would want him to play as many games as he can at 30 years old. The Red Wings have not made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs in the seven seasons that they have played at Little Caesars Arena.
General manager of the Red Wings, Steve Yzerman, said before the season started that he preferred not to roster four goalies, but it needed to be done. Jack Campbell entered the NHL’s player assistance program before the season. It is not known when Campbell will rejoin the team. As the season progresses the goalie situation will take shape. Alex Lyon has said in the past that he cannot be the number-one goalie on a team at 31 years old.
During the second game of the Red Wings’ season, right-winger Christian Fischer went down with an injury. Husso was put on waivers to make room for Fischer’s replacement on the roster. Husso’s injury history and salary cap hit meant that he was not likely to be claimed by any team. As Husso went unclaimed, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Red Wings will most likely assign him to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL.
This does not mean that the Red Wings have not given up on Husso. “Tough conversation, always,” head coach of the Red Wings Derek Lalonde told the Detroit Free Press. “It is a business, you’re managing your roster.” “We haven’t given up on Ville,” continuing, “He might see the net again here soon.” For the time being, Lalonde will have to manage Detroit’s goalie situation without both Husso and Campbell.
The goalie situation for the Griffins is in a good place at the time. Sebastian Cossa, who the Red Wings reportedly want to play in 50 games for the Griffins this season, was named the AHL’s second star of the night on the opening night of the league’s 2024-25 season. In 40 games played for the Griffins during the 2023-24 season, Cossa had a 2.41 goals against average and a save percentage of 0.913.
The first week of the 2024-25 NHL season was an up-and-down moment for the Red Wings’ goaltending position. The team continues to search for a number one goalie, which is one of the most important positions in today’s NHL. The salary cap only intensifies that search. Ville Husso’s contract and injury history made his roster spot expendable in the eyes of Yzerman and the Red Wings front office.
The roster moves made to make room on the team’s roster were only paper transactions, as defenseman Justin Holl was recalled from the Griffins ahead of the team’s next game against the New York Rangers. Holl has played well after being brought up from the Griffins. In 18:38 time on the ice, Holl recorded an assist against the Rangers. Before the last two seasons with the Red Wings, Holl played six seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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