With the Detroit Red Wings sitting 28th in the NHL in save percentage and 25th in GAA, it is noteworthy that goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa’s strong start continues with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Cossa, 23, raised his record to 8-1 by making 26 saves to lift the Griffins to a 1-0 win against the Iowa Wild.  He was the game’s No. 1 star in recording his second shutout of the season.

“Every start he has given us an opportunity to win every game,” Grand Rapids coach Dan Watson said. “…He’s working extremely hard in practice and it’s paying off for him.”

The 2021 first-round pick lowered his GAA to 1.56 and raised his save percentage to .942. Cossa is unofficially the organization’s No. 3 goalie. It was presumed coming into the season that he would probably see time at the NHL level.

How Close is Cossa to the NHL?

The 6-foot-7 former WHL standout has yielded two or fewer goals in seven of his nine appearances this season. The key for Cossa this season is consistency. He started impressively last season and then wasn’t sharp in the second half of the season and AHL playoffs.  But with Cam Talbot (.885) and John Gibson (.865) sporting save percentages well below the NHL average of .897, the Red Wings could decide to bring him up to see how he looks at the NHL level.

Last season, Cossa played one NHL game and was a winner in a 45-minute relief stint against the Buffalo Sabres.

The question the Red Wings are probably asking themselves is whether they want to subject Cossa to playing with Detroit’s defensive inconsistency. Can he help the situation? Or, would Detroit’s defensive messiness work against his development?

Should the Red Wings call-up Cossa, the Griffins can call-up Carter Gylander who has shuttled between Toledo (ECHL) and Grand Rapids. He’s 4-0-1 with the Griffins this season. Michal Postava was also playing as well as Cossa before he was injured. There’s been no timetable for Postava’s return.

Cossa, 23, is playing for a Griffins team that has been dominant defensively this season, evidenced by the team’s franchise record 16-1-0-1 start.  John Leonard’s league-leading 15th goal of the season was the difference in Sunday’s 1-0 trial.

If the Red Wings have injuries, Leonard, 27, is another player who could be a potential call-up. He has played 70 NHL games for three different teams (San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators and Arizona Coyotes) without sticking. But his scoring touch seems more refined after he totaled 44 goals in the regular-season and playoffs for the Charlotte Checkers last season.