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Trey Augustine

Red Wings’ Trey Augustine Remaining With Michigan State For 2025-26

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The Red Wings will need to wait to see goaltending prospect Trey Augustine suit up for them in the professional ranks. The 2023 second-round pick informed the team he intends to return to Michigan State for his junior season of college play, per Mike McMahon of College Hockey News.

Augustine, 20, would be many teams’ top goalie in their system. He’s not in Detroit, which also has 2021 first-rounder Sebastian Cossa on the way. The latter is the No. 5 prospect in the Wings’ pool, while Augustine ranks sixth, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. The Wings aren’t at risk of losing his signing rights until August 2027, so today’s news should be viewed more as Augustine’s desired development path rather than kicking the can down the road to free agency.

The 6’1″, 194-lb netminder has become a household name in the junior hockey world. He’s backstopped the United States in the last three World Junior Championships, winning a bronze and a pair of golds along the way. In their 2024 win, he led the tournament in GAA (1.75) and SV% (.936).

Mixed with a sparkling collegiate resume, it’s easy to see why optimism abounds about Augustine’s chances of being an NHL starter in a few years. As a freshman with the Spartans in 2023-24, he logged a 2.96 GAA, .915 SV%, three shutouts, and a 23-9-2 record in 35 games en route to winning both the Big Ten regular-season title and tournament championship while being named MVP of the latter. He also took home conference All-Rookie and Second All-Star Team honors.

Here in 2024-25, Augustine’s put up a repeat performance with even better stats. He led Michigan State back to a tournament championship and tied for the regular-season crown, putting up an improved 2.08 GAA and .924 SV% along the way. He made 30 appearances with a 19-7-4 record, although his Spartans were upset by Cornell in the regional semifinals of the national tournament.

Augustine remaining in school isn’t a huge concern for the Red Wings’ plans between the pipes in 2025-26. They have Petr Mrázek and Cam Talbot signed through next season to form their NHL tandem, with Cossa waiting in the wings as a high-end No. 3 option in case one of the veterans falters. 23-year-old Carter Gylander is their fourth goalie already signed for 2025-26. He’s having a good rookie season in the ECHL with Toledo and could be in line to serve as Cossa’s full-time backup in AHL Grand Rapids next season. They’ll likely be on the hunt for a cheap veteran name on the free agent market to stash in the minors, but there isn’t a gaping hole in the depth chart that Augustine would fill if he signed now.

Red Wings’ Goaltending Future Seems Clear

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The Detroit Red Wings did little to solidify their goaltending room this summer, after a confusing 2023-24 campaign in net. Starter Ville Husso was besieged by injury and cold streaks last season. He was replaced by 31-year-old Alex Lyon, who performed admirably in what was the first full NHL season of his career. But both goalies are set for free agency in 2025 and, rather than committing to either party, the Red Wings instead signed 37-year-old Cam Talbot to a two-year, $5MM deal this summer. Detroit now carries a trio of fringe-starting-caliber goaltenders, all set to expire by 2026, making it clear that the team isn’t much worried about their current status in net – they’re already looking towards the future.

It’s hard to blame the Wings, who carry two of the world’s top goalie prospects in Trey Augustine and Sebastian Cossa. Both players have been revered prospects for years, with Cossa even earning rare first-round acclaim in 2021, while Augustine was taken in 2023’s second round.

Cossa quickly vindicated his early selection, supporting the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings to a league title in 2022 with a .913 save percentage in 46 games. He turned pro in the following year, though he’d join a Grand Rapids Griffins team that utilized eight different goalies in the 2022-23 season. That crowd relegated Cossa to a starting role in the ECHL where he perfectly matched his stat line with the Oil Kings. A strong start to the pros and proud showing at 2023’s training camp earned Cossa the starting role in Grand Rapids in this past season. The position awarded Cossa 40 games and he – call it a trend – once again posted a .913 as part of a winning year.

Meanwhile, Augustine kicked off his college career in style, serving as the freshman starter for a Michigan State team that won a conference championship and the Frozen Four quarterfinals. Augustine tallied a .915 in 35 games along the way – enough to earn him a nomination for Big Ten Goalie of the Year, though the award ultimately went to Wisconsin senior Kyle MacLellan. Perhaps motivated by that snubbing, Augustine proceeded to work his way onto Team USA’s World Championship roster, becoming the youngest goalie ever to represent the States at the event. When Red Wings teammate Alex Lyon went down with injury, Augustine then went one step further and actually played games – setting an impressive .929 save percentage in four games. The gravity of Augustine’s appearance at Worlds can’t be understated. Only a handful of U21 goalies have played multiple games at the event, placing Augustine among company like John Gibson, Arturs Silovs, Ilya Sorokin, Jesper Wallstedt, and Jacob Markstrom.

Cossa ceded 34 games to Grand Rapids’ backups last season, and will now look to maintain his .913 save percentages in a larger share of starts, amid competition like Carter Gylander, Gage Alexander, and Jack Campbell. Augustine will be in a similar position in collegiate hockey – confidently set for a starting role but looking to maintain strong play behind a Spartans defense that replaced Artyom Levshunov, Viktor Hurtig, and Nash Nienhuis with Vladislav Lukashevich and Owen West. That setting certainly presents a challenge, but it’s hard to imagine Augustine crumbling under pressure after such an electric freshman year.

Continued strong play could put both goalies on the fast track to the NHL as Detroit’s current crease heads to free agency. The inevitable question seems to be which top prospect is headed for the lion’s share of games when they finally break into the Red Wings lineup. Cossa carries the upper-hand in early projections, thanks to his 6’6” frame and proud pro experience up to this point. But Augustine’s athleticism and agility seem second-to-none – and his ability to perform with the spotlight on was made clear at the World Championship. The duo have an exciting position battle ahead of them, set to form a tandem that could be hard to forget. With one goalie relying on frame and positioning, and one on athleticism and skill, the Red Wings will hope they’re headed for a tandem akin to Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark, or perhaps more accurately the emerging tandem of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi.

Big Hype Prospects: Augustine, Solberg, Kapanen, Emery

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The World Championship has kicked off, bringing back the energy and excitement of international hockey at the top level. This year’s tournament has offered a special platform to the underappreciated hockey countries – with Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and Latvia offering some of the best hockey of the kickoff weekend. There has also been a rare influx of young players earning big chances, with the tournament currently led in scoring by 18-year-old Connor Bedard and in save percentage by 23-year-old Lukas Dostal. The boost of younger talent has offered scouts an extra look at some of the top prospects in the world. We’ll follow suit, once again borrowing the Big Hype Prospects series from MLB Trade Rumors and breaking down some of the top performers from Worlds.

Four Big Hype Prospects

Trey Augustine, G, Michigan State (NCAA Big Ten, Detroit Red Wings)
35 GP – 23 Wins – 0.915 SV% – 2.96 GAA

Trey Augustine made history on Saturday, stepping in for Team USA starter Alex Lyon following an undisclosed injury. Augustine stepped in just 24 minutes into the game and held strong, saving 11 of the 12 shots he faced en route to USA’s 6-1 win over Team Germany. The performance earned Augustine the win, making him just the fifth U20 goaltender to record a win at Worlds since 2000. He joins a list of incredibly talented goaltenders, including Juuse Saros, Andrei Vasilevskiy, John Gibson, and Jacob Markstrom. But what’s more – Augustine is the first U20 goalie since 2000 to step into a World Championship role without playing in a pro league first, though Gibson only had one AHL under his belt. Instead, Augustine is backstopping one of the World Championship’s top teams directly out of college, just months after rivaling the Big Ten ’Goalie of the Year’ Award. Augustine was nicknamed ’The Closer’ during his years at the U.S. National Team Development Program and is living up to the high acclaim now, showing a fantastic amount of poise and skill even at the top level. While there’s still a long road ahead for Augustine – who is currently expected to return to Michigan State next season – the Red Wings have to be happy with the value they’ve gotten out of the 2023 second round.

Stian Solberg, LHD, Vålerenga (Norway, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
42 GP – 5 G – 10 A – 15 TP – 47 PIM – +2 +/-

Stian Solberg is quickly winning the hearts of hockey fans. He’s been asked to do it all this season – serving in a top role during club play with Vålerenga, as the #1-defenseman on Norway’s World Juniors team, and now as a top-four defender at the World Championship. Solberg has handled all of the challenge in stride, showing a fantastic ability to stay adaptable. Whether it’s a long reach while defending the rush, a big hit to spark energy, or nifty passing to create a chance in the offensive-end, Solberg seems capable of doing it all. The support of Norway’s men’s team has let Solberg embrace much more of his offensive skillset at Worlds and he’s taking full opportunity of the chance, showing an improved ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone and create chances from the blue-line. Solberg is continuing to look mature beyond his years, substantially boosting a case to go in the 2024 first-round that’s been steadily growing all season long.

Oliver Kapanen, C, KalPa (Liiga, Montreal Canadiens)
51 GP – 14 G – 20 A – 34 TP – 32 PIM – 0 +/-

Oliver Kapanen kicked off Worlds with a bang, recording a hat trick in Finland’s game against Team Great Britain. It’s perhaps lighter pickings than some of the other clubs Finland will face, but it was how Kapanen recorded his trick that made it so impressive. After years of trying to survive as a high-slot shooter, Kapanen potted all three goals on Saturday from the low-slot, using his strong frame and quick reactions to consistently win the battles for loose rebounds. The performance felt like the culmination of a development curve that Kapanen has been on all season long, learning how to become more confident in the gritty areas of the ice and make plays with little-to-no space. They’re next-level traits which will support Kapanen substantially as he continues to take on more-and-more of a role at the top level. Fans will need to wait out the rest of his World Championship performance before getting too excited, but he’s kicked off the tournament in exciting fashion, offering a shimmer of hope to Canadiens fans excited for their next Finnish centerman.

Eric ’EJ’ Emery, LHD, U.S. U18 (NTDP, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
61 GP – 0 G – 16 A – 16 TP – 30 PIM – +5 +/-

Eric ’EJ’ Emery isn’t currently representing his country at the World Championship, but he is still finding ways to make himself popular on social media, posting a video jumping over Scott Norton, the President of his agency (Twitter link). The video shows off just how athletic the 6’3″, 185-lbs frame of Emery is – as well as the impressive vertical he’s been working towards since last summer. Emery had a bit of an underwhelming year on the scoresheet but there are few scouts who aren’t excited about the stout defensive potential he offers. Emery is a smooth, lanky defender who uses a long reach and strong physical presence to close off opponents with ease. He’s also fantastic on the puck, corralling open pucks and finding teammates quickly, without losing any momentum in plays. Emery showed off just how well he can go from shutting down play on defense to inspiring offense at the World U18 Championship, where he recorded six assists in seven games as Team USA chased a Silver Medal finish. Emery is considered to be on the fringe of this year’s first round, though continued feats of athleticism, and what seems to be a high potential for added offense in the future, makes him one of the most exciting risers through the year’s second half.

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