Buffalo Sabers 2024 Player Report Card: Devon Levi

Devon Levi split his season between Buffalo and Rochester.

Total season stats: 10-8-2 with a 3.10 GAA and 899 sv% in the NHL; 16-6-4 with a 2.42 GAA percentage and 0.927 sv% in the AHL

Age: 22

Contract status: Signed through 2024-25 at $925,000 (ELC)

The expectations for Devon Levi heading into the season were high – incredibly high, and probably unrealistic. For a goaltender to make the instant jump to the NHL and immediately take on a full-time role 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 starter’s net and played four games in one week to start the season after also carrying a heavy workload in the preseason. He then missed several weeks due to injury, and upon his return the team inserted him into a larger rotation. As the season progressed, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen landed the lead role and Levi also spent time in Rochester.

When he was in Buffalo, Levi definitely had some outstanding performances. He also had some great ones. Overall, he probably hasn’t lived up to most people’s expectations, and that, coupled with Luukkonen’s dominance, has even led some to suggest that Levi could be a trade item this summer.

I wouldn’t go that far, personally. I think Levi is a good goalie with a lot of promise, but I also think he needs time to prepare for the NHL experience and especially to be a starting goalie in the big league.

With Luukkonen pending an RFA and Eric Comrie in free agency, Levi is the only goaltender with a contract in the Sabers organization at the time of writing. But where he will 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 in some sort of deal?

Season level: B