Michal Postava is set to make his first NHL start Monday night against Edmonton at Rogers Place, a significant next step for the 24-year-old rookie who was recalled by the Detroit Red Wings under emergency conditions.
The move comes after Daniil Tarasov was injured in practice Wednesday, leaving Detroit short on available goaltending depth. John Gibson started Saturday in Calgary and stopped 21 shots in a 4-1 loss, but the Red Wings still needed another option for the back-to-back stretch of games.
Postava had already been thrown into action once before this start. Four days before Monday’s game, he made an unplanned NHL debut in Vancouver and stopped seven of eight shots. After that brief appearance, he now gets a much bigger assignment against an Edmonton team that entered Monday at 8-2-1 and held the Pacific Division lead.
From Grand Rapids to an unexpected NHL assignment
Postava had been playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins before the call-up on Oct. 22, and the timeline has moved quickly since he arrived in the organization on June 10, 2025, after helping HC Kometa Brno win the Czech Extraliga title.
For Detroit, the situation is less about long-term planning than immediate necessity. Todd McLellan said, “That’s not the way we planned it,” after the goaltending situation changed, and then added that Postava “did a real good job,” before telling him, “congratulations, you’re in the NHL now.”
Postava has not sounded overwhelmed by the moment. He said, “I don’t have time to think about anything, so yeah, I just warm up and be ready.” That approach will matter again Monday, when he gets his first start in front of an NHL crease against one of the league’s strongest teams.
The larger challenge for the Red Wings is obvious. They are asking an undrafted rookie with very little NHL experience to handle a difficult road start while the team manages an unsettled goaltending picture. For Postava, though, the assignment is another chance to show he can handle whatever comes next.
His path to this point has already included a lot of change. Postava has spoken about losing his father when he was 13, saying, “My dad passed when I was 13 years old, and I try to be better every day because of him,” and adding, “I want to make him proud.”
That perspective adds context to a sudden opportunity that came faster than anyone expected. Now, after a brief relief appearance in Vancouver, Postava gets the chance to make his first NHL start under pressure against Edmonton.
