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As John Gibson continues to recover from an upper-body injury, Michal Postava is seizing the opportunity to make his mark with the Detroit Red Wings. Postava remained on the ice well after Thursday's morning skate on Nov. 5, refining his technique under the guidance of goaltending coach Michael Leighton. He was set to serve as the backup to Daniil Tarasov for that evening's matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Postava's recall came on Wednesday, just a day after Gibson was hurt late in the first period of Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Head coach Todd McLellan indicated that Gibson was still undergoing evaluation on Thursday and is considered day-to-day. Having Postava available in the system is a valuable asset for the club.
"Michal in particular, ever since he's come to North America, has done a real good job of working his way up in the Grand Rapids situation to taking over there and now working his way up to here," McLellan said after the morning skate. "His effort in Edmonton was very good. It was inspiring for the players, and when a young goalie can come up and do that, it's a real positive thing."
This marks Postava's second stint with the Red Wings, having been called up under emergency conditions during the team's western road trip after Tarasov suffered an injury during practice on Oct. 21. Postava flew from Grand Rapids to Vancouver on the morning of Oct. 22 and ended up relieving Gibson for the third period against the Canucks after the veteran was unable to play due to getting something in his eye.
Two nights later, Postava earned his first career NHL victory in his first start, at the Edmonton Oilers, stopping 24 shots in regulation and overtime before turning away all three shootout attempts he faced. He was returned to the minors when the Red Wings came back to Detroit. Now he's back, and even just practicing with the team is a boost.
"First time was quick, and I am just happy to be there every day," Postava said. "Being here, it helps me to save these shots. It's hard shots and some clever shots. So it's been good working on it, and it helped me."
Postava's journey is a compelling one: A free agent signee in the summer of 2025, he received a two-year contract. He was initially slated to back up Sebastian Cossa, the franchise's first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in 2021. Cossa played the majority of games during the 2025-26 regular season (39 to Postava's 25), but when Cossa struggled down the stretch, Postava was given the net and excelled, and he hasn't looked back.
He was recently named the AHL Goaltender of the Month for October after going 4-0 last month with a 1.25 goals-against average and a .954 save percentage. He joins Detroit with a perfect 5-0-0 record, a 1.20 goals-against average, and a .955 save percentage in five starts with the Griffins during the 2026-27 season.
Having three trusted goaltenders is a significant comfort for the Red Wings. "I can't speak for every team, but the ones that I've been on, you plan for three NHL-caliber people," McLellan said. "There's goaltenders, journeymen goaltenders that are in the minor leagues making one-way money, simply because the organizations need that depth. The puck's coming so fast and players are crashing the net and goaltenders are so athletic, there's injuries that occur. All of a sudden, you can be in a lot of trouble if you don't have them."
The Red Wings' next game is Saturday at the Colorado Avalanche. Depending on how things unfold with Gibson, Postava might get a chance there to make his second start. Under any circumstance, he is making inroads on showing the Red Wings he belongs full time in Detroit.
"That would be fantastic for me," Postava said. "But I don't think about it. I just — I always say I just try and work hard every day and be the best version of me."
Originally reported by yahoo.