Michal Postava is turning a once-overlooked goalie story into one of the early headlines of the AHL season.
The Grand Rapids Griffins netminder has opened 2026-27 with three wins in three starts, backing it up with the kind of numbers that jump off the page: 36 saves in Friday’s 2-1 home-opening win over the Manitoba Moose at Van Andel Arena, then 22 more stops in Sunday’s 5-1 win against the Chicago Wolves. He’s already helped push Grand Rapids to the top of the Central Division standings.
His best work came Friday, when he absorbed pressure and kept the Griffins in control long enough to build a 2-0 cushion before Manitoba broke through in the third period after a failed defensive clear turned into a goal. Postava had faced only nine shots in the opening period, then handled 16 in the second as the game tightened.
“He was unbelievable,” Griffins forward Carter Bear said after Friday’s game. “He was definitely first star for us, for sure.”
Dan Watson didn’t sound interested in soft-pedaling it either.
“He's been outstanding (Friday),” the Griffins coach said. “Without him in net, we don't win that game.
He was excellent. He made some really big saves, key saves, in big moments, especially when they had all the momentum going.
He held strong.”
Postava’s path to this point has moved fast. The 24-year-old signed a two-year, entry-level deal with Detroit on June 10, 2025, after playing for HC Kometa Brno in the Czechia Extraliga. He had just helped that club win a league title, finishing the playoffs with a 10-7 record, a 1.97 GAA and a 0.940 save percentage.
His first full run in North America came last season, when he spent most of 2025-26 as Sebastian Cossa’s backup in Grand Rapids after recovering from an injury for two months. Even in that role, he made a serious impact, going 17-6-0-4 in 27 games with a 1.72 GAA and a 0.937 save percentage.
That mattered because Cossa had long been positioned as the goalie of the future in Detroit. The Red Wings traded up to draft him, sending picks No. 23, 38 and 138 to the Dallas Stars for No. 15 overall in 2021.
But Postava changed the picture late last season. When Cossa began to fade down the stretch, Postava took over, posting a 0.940 save percentage with two shutouts over his last nine starts.
That earned him the starting job for the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, and Cossa never started another game for Grand Rapids. Postava then appeared in all eight playoff games, finishing with a 2.09 GAA and a 0.912 save percentage.
Grand Rapids didn’t advance past the second round, but the ripple effect reached the Red Wings. Detroit, without a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft, traded Cossa to the Utah Mammoth for the 23rd overall selection and used it on J.P. Hurlbert.
For now, though, Postava is the one driving the Griffins’ start. Through two games this season, he owns a 1.34 GAA and a .950 save percentage, and he’s not treating the hot start like anything more than a beginning.
"I'm just trying to do my best," Postava said. "Just trying to enjoy the moment and trying to help the team."
He also said the emphasis this season is on the little things, with a year of AHL time under his belt. Watson pointed to the mental side of Postava’s game as the biggest jump from Year 1, along with improved conditioning over the summer.
"We knew how athletic he was, how competitive he was," Watson said. "Now, just the mental side of it, his daily preparation, his game preparation. ... Just takes that next level of maturity."
In Other News...
Red Wings Face A Franchise-Altering Dylan Larkin Question
The Dylan Larkin chatter around Detroit has taken on a different tone with Florida suddenly carrying more flexibility under the salary cap, and that alone has been enough to push the conversation from idle rumor to something that feels at least worth monitoring. For the Red Wings, any talk involving their captain lands differently, because it is not just about a good player changing teams - it would signal a major shift in how the organization views its timeline and its next move.
What makes the speculation especially notable is the kind of framework being discussed, with the Panthers current roster situation creating room for a bigger swing than they might otherwise consider. The names floating through the conversation are the sort that would make Detroit pause, since any deal built around Anton Lundell or Eetu Luostarinen and extra draft capital would force the Red Wings to weigh immediate leadership against future value, and that is the kind of decision that rarely comes easy. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings May Be Stalling Two Young Players They Need Most
Detroits pipeline has looked encouraging in spots this season, with five Griffins prospects getting NHL looks and a few of them quickly finding their footing. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, William Wallinder and Anton Johansson have each managed to turn opportunity into something more meaningful, which is exactly the kind of progress the organization wants to see as it keeps trying to build a stronger next wave of talent.
The trickier part is figuring out what to do with Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Nate Danielson, two young players the Red Wings need to become more than just depth options. Both have had a harder time carving out real NHL influence, and the development case for each could point back to Grand Rapids for more seasoning before Detroit asks them to carry more of the load. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Have A Center Question Fans Cant Ignore
The Red Wings are still sorting through what their center depth should look like, and the discussion has only grown more interesting as trade chatter around the roster keeps circling. Detroit is weighing whether to move Simon Edvinsson and Dylan Larkin, a sign that the front office is at least thinking broadly about how to reshape the middle of the ice while also keeping an eye on the bigger market for help at center.
If Edvinsson becomes part of a deal, the return could determine how aggressive Detroit is in addressing the position, and Shawn Horcoffs role in the ask could matter in more ways than one. The list of possible targets is already familiar to anyone following the draft-and-trade landscape, with names like Caleb Desnoyers, Berkly Catton, James Hagens, Dalibor Dvorsky and Kent Johnson all in the mix, which leaves the Wings with options but not necessarily answers just yet. [Read more 🡒]