Ville Husso says he'll be healthy for next season, but Detroit Red Wings have to be smart

Ville Husso looked healthy and sounded hopeful when he met with reporters a couple days after the Detroit Red Wings' season ended, but the team has to be cautious.

Husso was basically unavailable to the Wings from mid-December on, with both mid-February and early-April comebacks eventually getting aborted. Husso was limited to 19 appearances; he played 56 games the season prior, his first with the Wings.

"I think it was a really tough year, injury-wise," Husso said. "I guess at the end, it was mentally hard not to play. We were trying everything to come back maybe a little earlier than supposed to, but unfortunately it didn’t work. But I’ll be healthy for next year and I don’t think we need surgery or anything."

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Husso, 29, was acquired during the 2022 offseason to serve as the starting goaltender, given a three-year deal with a $4.75 million annual average value timed to allow for the emergence of Sebastian Cossa, the 2021 first-round pick projected as the Wings' goaltender of the future. Cossa, 21, is in a good situation in the minors, where he's been able to develop to the point he played 40 games this season, posting a 2.41 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. The organization does not deem him ready for the NHL yet, after only one full season at the AHL level.

In addition to Husso, Alex Lyon — who rose from No. 3 to No. 1 on the depth chart — is under contract through next season, a bargain at $900,000. He was signed last summer with the expectation he would spend most of his time in Grand Rapids. But Lyon outplayed Husso and James Reimer during exhibition season and forced the Wings to reconsider their plans because sending Lyon to the minors would have meant exposing him on waivers — and he would have been claimed by another team.

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"At the start of the year, we debated what to do," general manager Steve Yzerman said. "Should we trade one, should we put one on waivers? Then Ville got hurt and at various times during the season, James and Alex played extremely well and were instrumental in us getting victories down the stretch.

"We just kind of kept putting off the decision until the decision was made by itself that we had to keep (Lyon). We got a little bit lucky by hemming and hawing for a while, and it worked out."

Reimer, 36, is a pending unrestricted free agent. He was brought in last summer for $1.5 million after efforts to land Joonas Korpisalo came up short. Reimer regularly lets in soft goals, but he delivered down the stretch, winning five of his last six starts. He went 11-8-2 in 25 appearances, posting a 3.11 GAA and .904 save percentage.

Lyon went 21-18-5 in 44 appearances with a 3.05 GAA and .904 save percentage. Husso finished with a 3.55 GAA and .892 save percentage.

"I cannot talk any more strongly about our goaltending," coach Derek Lalonde said last week. "It ended up being a huge positive for us under a really tough circumstance. All three of our guys battled. Alex Lyon was put in a really tough situation, James Reimer was put in a really tough situation. Those guys gave us everything and then some. Not only were they battling as hard as possible, they were winning games down the stretch.

"I cannot stress any more how proud I am on our goaltending. They lifted our group."

Lalonde repeatedly described Husso as being "week-to-week" as the rehab dragged on. When it seemed Husso had mended, he was in net for the Feb. 13 game at the Edmonton Oilers, but he lasted less than nine minutes. On April 12, Husso was supposed to start for the Griffins during a conditioning stint, but that was undermined when he didn't even last through warmups.

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"It wasn’t just me saying I’m not going to play, it was team as well," Husso said. "It’s unfortunate.

"I love the game, so I just want to get out there and enjoy playing again. Watching these last couple home games, with how crazy the building was, and seeing the fans how into it they are – and I’m not able to help the team, that was in my head. I just need to get healthy now and get ready for next season."

Given that nearly four months of rest and rehab didn't mend Husso, the expectation is the Wings will have to be cautious and carry three goaltenders going into next season, too. That may end up meaning another year with Reimer, exploring free agency or making a trade. But with Cossa on the horizon for 2025-26, the Wings would seem best served by a stop-gap addition.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames.

Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from  Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings must be smart with goalies, even if Husso is healthy