Oil Kings goalie grows in leaps and bounds
The Goalie of the Future might just be The Goalie of the Now. Case in point: Sebastian Cossa. The Edmonton Oil Kings’ rookie’s game is growing by leaps and bounds — almost as fast as his body — after a 2-1 shootout win Sunday against the Portland Winterhawks.
Cossa, just a few inches short of 6-foot-6, has been in three games and has a shutout against Winnipeg, the shootout battle with
St. Louis Blues draft pick Joel Hofer and just one blip when he was pulled after giving up three goals in Regina. But even so, the 16-year-old has a .952 save percentage as he tag teams with the 19-year-old Todd Scott for work in the net.
For the time being, Scott is the No. 1 because he’s a three-year WHL veteran even though he’s only played 58 total games. But Cossa, who isn’t eligible for the NHL draft until June 2021, looks like a real player stopping 79 of 83 shots this season. Pucks stick to him, he’s XXL in the net and he’s given the Oil Kings’ coaching staff an early comfort level after watching him stop six shots in the overtime period Sunday because Portland had a power play, then all three in the shootout, the last to win it on Jake Gricious’ attempt.
While Oil Kings forward Carter Souch made a nifty deke for the only shootout score, finishing off a nice weekend after his first WHL hat trick Saturday against Calgary Hitmen, Cossa was their best player.
And he’s still growing.
“I don’t know if I’m finished ... my shoe size is 15½ so maybe I grow another inch or two,” said Cossa.
“The skates are 13½. I guess I’ve got feet to cover up the whole net,” joked Cossa.
He was only beaten by a screened 55-footer from defenceman Johnny Ludvig, whose dad Jan is a longtime NHL amateur/ pro scout and EX-NHL winger.
In overtime, he stopped Cross Hanas on a breakaway and got lucky when Seth Jarvis rang one off the iron in the dying seconds.
“Hockey gods were on my side, for sure,” he said.
Cossa, who turns 17 in November, played a ton before he got to the Oil Kings but now he’s biding his time. “I’m watching more games now, sort of feeling out the WHL and I think the path I’m on now is pretty good,” he said.
Oil Kings assistant coach Luke Pierce knows Scott is the veteran, but Cossa is more than just an every-now-and-then rookie.
“With his size, when he digs in and battles in his crease ... he’s tough to beat,” Pierce said.
“This was a really good bounce back after his start in Regina.”
Pierce knows it’s a balancing act with young and older in the net in junior.
“We’re in the business of winning hockey games, understanding it’s tough in this league as a young player,” said Pierce. “But from Brad’s (head coach Lauer) standpoint, it’s who’s going to give us the best chance to win every night.
“Modern goaltending now, you don’t see one guy playing 90 per cent of the games and we’ll model that I’m sure and they’ll share the load.”
Until Ludvig scored in the third, the Oil Kings (7-1-3) looked like they might get to the house on Matthew Robertson’s goal in the first off a great 2-on-1 feed from Josh Williams.
BIG WEEKEND
The speedy winger Souch, eligible for the 2020 draft, almost hit for the cycle Saturday with a power-play goal, one even strength and one into the empty net. He only missed a shortie.
Souch looks much more dangerous shooting this year than last season. He had 10 goals in 68 league games in 2018-19 and has five goals in 10 games already.
“When he left last year (end of season), he wanted more and he put the time in in the summertime,” Lauer said.
NO ROOM AT THE INN
Dylan Miskiw was odd man out in the Oil Kings’ goalie triumvirate, not because he can’t stop the puck, just because he’s 20 years old and WHL teams can only carry three on a roster. At this point no other WHL club has picked him up, but he is in London, Ont., on a tryout with Dale Hunter’s OHL Knights. But they have three 20-year-olds already.
“Miskiw did a great job for us last year but it’s tough to have a 20-year-old goalie only play 40 games and help with the others. That didn’t make sense for me,” said Lauer. “They don’t play every night and when they sit (backup goalie) that means you can only have two 20-year-olds on the ice. The 20-year-olds are a big part of a junior program and they help with the growth.”
THIS ’N’ THAT
The Winterhawks lost their best player, centre Cody Glass, to Vegas this season. He had 69 points in 38 WHL games last season ... The Oil Kings were without defenceman Jacson Alexander (check to head Saturday) and Jesse Seppala (undisclosed injury) in the Winterhawks game.