Hockey is weird. One day you've got a franchise legend between the pipes and the next you're scouring the waiver wire because your starter’s groin gave out in warmups. For the Detroit Red Wings, the backup goalie spot hasn't just been a secondary concern; it’s been the difference between a playoff berth and another long April spent golfing.
Alex Lyon was supposed to be the safety net. Honestly, he ended up being the whole tightrope for a while there. But as we look at the current roster construction under Steve Yzerman, the role of the Red Wings backup goalie has evolved into a rotating door of "prove-it" contracts and veteran gambles. It’s a stressful way to run a hockey team. Fans in Detroit are used to stability—think Osgood and Vernon—but lately, it’s been more about who has the hot hand for a three-week stretch in February.
The Cam Talbot and Ville Husso Dilemma
Right now, the depth chart is a bit of a mess, but in a crowded way. You’ve got Cam Talbot, who was brought in to provide that veteran "dad energy" in the locker room. Then there’s Ville Husso, whose contract is a bit of a burden considering his save percentage has dipped. When we talk about the Red Wings backup goalie, we aren't just talking about a guy who sits on the bench wearing a baseball cap 60 nights a year. We're talking about a 1B starter.
Talbot is 37. That's ancient in goalie years.
He can still play, though. His performance with the Kings last season proved he isn't washed, but asking him to carry a heavy load is risky. If he’s the starter, then who is the actual backup? It’s likely a dogfight between Husso and Erik Hellberg or whoever else Yzerman decides to pull out of his hat. The reality is that the Red Wings are carrying three goalies on the active roster quite often. It’s a roster management nightmare. It eats up a spot for a skating prospect, but Detroit feels they have no choice. They can't trust just one guy.
Why the "Three-Headed Monster" approach is kinda polarizing
Some people love the security. Others think it’s a sign of weakness. If you have two good goalies, you have one. If you have three, you might have none. That’s the old school hockey saying, anyway. By keeping three guys around, Derek Lalonde is basically admitting that he doesn't know who is going to show up on any given Tuesday against Columbus.
📖 Related: Vince Carter Meme I Got One More: The Story Behind the Internet's Favorite Comeback
Husso has had some brutal luck with injuries. Lower body stuff mostly. When he’s on, he’s a calm, positional goalie who doesn't overcommit. When he's off? Well, it gets ugly fast. The rebound control disappears. Suddenly, a routine shot from the point becomes a chaotic scramble in the crease. That’s why the backup role is so vital. If Husso falters, the season shouldn't just end.
The Alex Lyon Factor: From Third String to Folk Hero
We have to talk about Alex Lyon. Last year, he was essentially the third-stringer who became the savior. That’s the dream scenario for any Red Wings backup goalie. He came in with that specialized "AERIE" paint job on his mask and just started winning games. He plays a frantic, athletic style that is the polar opposite of Husso’s calm demeanor. It’s chaotic. It’s fun. It’s also exhausting to watch.
Lyon’s rise showed that the label of "backup" is totally fluid in Detroit. If you stop the puck, you play.
- Lyon earned the net because he survived the "gauntlet" of back-to-back starts.
- He showed better puck-tracking than the guys making double his salary.
- The team actually played harder in front of him.
That third point is hard to quantify with stats, but you could see it. The defense cleared more porches. They blocked more shots. There’s a psychological element to having a backup who is fighting for his life every shift. It wakes the rest of the boys up.
The Sebastian Cossa Shadow
While the veterans battle it out, there’s a giant kid in Grand Rapids waiting for his turn. Sebastian Cossa. He’s the future. At 6'6", he’s the prototype for the modern NHL goaltender. But Yzerman is patient. Almost too patient for some fans' liking. Cossa isn't going to be the Red Wings backup goalie just to sit on the bench; when he comes up, he needs to be ready to take over.
👉 See also: Finding the Best Texas Longhorns iPhone Wallpaper Without the Low-Res Junk
The jump from the AHL to the NHL for goalies is massive. The shooters are more deceptive. The screens are heavier. If you bring a kid up too early and he gets shelled, you might break his confidence for good. Just look at what happened to some of the high-profile goalie prospects in Philadelphia or Edmonton over the years. It’s a graveyard of ruined potential. Detroit is determined not to let Cossa become a statistic.
What actually makes a good backup in Detroit?
It’s not just about the save percentage. It’s about the "cold start" capability. Can you sit for ten days, watch film, eat popcorn, and then jump into a game against the Florida Panthers and keep the score to 2-1? That is a specific mental skill. Most goalies need rhythm. Backups need resilience.
You've got to be a bit of a psycho to be a backup. You spend your mornings getting peppered with shots by the healthy scratches and the guys coming off the IR. You're the last one off the ice at practice. Then, when the lights go on, you're the most scrutinized person in the building if things go south.
The Financials of the Crease
Let's look at the cap hits. It’s a bit of a lopsided situation.
- Ville Husso: $4.75 million
- Cam Talbot: $2.5 million
- Alex Lyon: $900k (roughly)
That is a lot of money tied up in a position that still feels like a question mark. For a team trying to find room to pay guys like Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, having nearly $8 million in goalies who might all be backups on a Stanley Cup contender is a tough pill to swallow. But that’s the price of "insurance." In 2023, the Wings lost games because they simply couldn't get a save. Any save. They won't let that happen again, even if it means overpaying for the safety net.
✨ Don't miss: Why Isn't Mbappe Playing Today: The Real Madrid Crisis Explained
The Reality of the 2025-2026 Season
As the season progresses, expect the Red Wings backup goalie position to be a meritocracy. There is no loyalty here anymore. If Talbot is the hot hand, he starts. If Lyon finds that magic again, he’s the guy. And if Husso can't stay healthy or find his angles, he might find himself in the AHL or on the trade block.
The pressure is on the coaching staff to manage these egos. Goaltenders are notoriously sensitive. They have their routines. They have their superstitions. Managing three guys who all think they should be starting is a full-time job for the goalie coach.
Ultimately, the goal is simple: get to 95 points. To do that, the backup needs to steal at least five or six games. Those are the games where the team is tired, maybe playing their third game in four nights, and they just need the goalie to be a wall.
Actionable Steps for Following the Situation
If you're trying to keep track of who is actually winning the backup battle, don't just look at the wins and losses. That’s a trap. Look at the "High Danger Save Percentage." That tells you if the goalie is actually making big saves or just benefiting from a lucky night.
- Watch the morning skate reports: In Detroit, the first goalie off the ice is usually the starter. If the "backup" is staying out late to take extra shots, he’s definitely not playing that night.
- Monitor the waiver wire: If the Wings finally decide to move to a two-goalie system, someone is going on waivers. That will be the clearest signal of who the team trusts.
- Keep an eye on Grand Rapids stats: If Cossa's numbers stay above a .915 for an extended period, the pressure to call him up will become deafening.
- Pay attention to "Back-to-Back" splits: The true test of the backup is the second half of a back-to-back. If the backup is consistently losing those games, the Wings won't make the playoffs.
The goalie carousel in Detroit isn't stopping anytime soon. It’s a feature, not a bug, of the current rebuild phase. Whether it's Talbot's experience or Lyon's grit, the man in the backup crease holds the keys to the Motor City's post-season hopes. It's a thankless job, but someone’s got to do it. Just don't expect the same name to be there all season long. That's just not how this team is built anymore.