BUFFALO – As the Sabres practiced Thursday morning in LECOM Harborcenter, goalie Devon Levi wheeled a cart filled with his equipment into the rink and grabbed a seat next to general manager Kevyn Adams in a suite.
Levi and Adams watched the rest of the session together before the rookie put his gear on and hopped on the ice after most of his teammates departed.
Levi’s immigration paperwork hasn’t been finalized, meaning he can’t practice with the team. Instead, the Canadian, who signed his entry-level contract last Friday, has been getting in solo work.
“I do want to get him out there,” said coach Don Granato, whose Sabres host the New Jersey Devils tonight at KeyBank Center. “It’s unfortunate for him because you just see he’s so ready to go. The hope is today it will clear and then we can move on and into it.”
The Sabres, of course, want to give Levi, 21, his first NHL action. There was a belief he might start Monday’s home game against the Montreal Canadiens, his hometown team. But without the benefit of a practice – the Sabres also play Saturday and have a scheduled day off Sunday – that seems unlikely.
In other news, winger Jordan Greenway practiced Thursday after an upper-body injury kept him out of Tuesday’s 7-3 loss to the Nashville Predators.
“Not ready to go yet,” Granato said.
Greenway, who was acquired March 3 from the Minnesota Wild, has played eight games for the Sabres.
Meanwhile, goalie Craig Anderson (maintenance) and winger Vinnie Hinostroza (personal reasons) both missed Thursday’s practice.
