The Detroit Red Wings used a former first-round pick of theirs to gain a pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Sebastian Cossa, drafted at No. 15 in 2021, was shipped to the Utah Mammoth in return for the No. 23 overall selection on Friday, June 26. The Wings used that to select JP Hurlbert, a 6 foot, 190-pound forward headed for the University of Michigan next season.
Hurlbert had 42 goals and 55 assists in 68 games for Kamloops of the Western Hockey League in 2025-26.
Hurlberg told ESPN that he was “so excited” to go to Detroit.
It was not unexpected that the Wings would part ways with Cossa, who in five years only played one NHL game, in relief for 45 minutes.
Not only that, but Cossa lost his starting job late in the season to fellow Grand Rapids Griffins goaltender Michal Postava, and did not appear in any of the Griffins playoff games this spring.
Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Red Wings get back into 1st round of NHL Draft, trade Sebastian Cossa
Reporting by Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
