Devon Levi split his season between Buffalo and Rochester.
Total Season Stats: 10-8-2 with a 3.10 GAA and 899 sv% percentage in the NHL; 16-6-4 with a 2.42 GAA and .927 sv% percentage in the AHL
Age: 22
Contract Status: Signed through 2024-25 at $925k (ELC)
Expectations for Devon Levi heading into the season were high – incredibly high, and probably unrealistically so. For a goalie to make the instant jump to the NHL and step into a full-time role immediately is so rare; Levi needs more time to cook, and certainly more time to prepare for such a heavy workload at the NHL level.
Levi entered the season in the starter’s net and played four games in a week to start the season after also carrying a heavy workload in the preseason. He then missed several weeks due to injury, and when he came back, the team inserted him into more of a rotation. As the season went on, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen earned the top role, and Levi also spent some time in Rochester.
When he was in Buffalo, Levi definitely had some stellar performances. He also had some not-great ones. Overall, he likely didn’t meet most people’s expectations, and that, coupled with Luukkonen’s dominance, has even led some to suggest that Levi could be a trade piece this summer.
I wouldn’t go that far, personally. I think Levi is a good goaltender with a lot of promise, but I also think he needs time to prepare for the experience of the NHL and particularly for being a starting goaltender in the big league.
With Luukkonen a pending RFA and Eric Comrie hitting free agency, Levi is the only goaltender with a contract in the Sabres organization as of writing. But where he’ll end up playing once October rolls around is still up in the air. Will it be Buffalo? Will it be Rochester? Or could Kevyn Adams ship him out in some sort of deal?
Season Grade: B