BUFFALO – On Jan. 20, 2025, following two months in the minors, goalie Devon Levi made a rare start for the Sabres, stopping 28 shots in a 6-4 road loss to the Kraken.
A day later, they sent Levi back to the AHL, where he spent the next season and a half with the Rochester Americans.
No one knew it that day in Seattle, but Levi, once a prospect so highly regarded that many viewed him as the Sabres’ goalie of the future, possibly made his final appearance for Buffalo.
In the coming days or weeks, Levi, who has one season remaining on a two-year contract he signed last offseason, could be traded.
Right now, he ranks a distant fourth on the organization’s goaltending depth chart behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis.
When the Sabres inked Lyon, an established veteran, last summer, it became clear Levi, 24, would likely begin the season in Rochester. Remember, he earned a spot on the opening night NHL roster in each of his first two full campaigns before the Sabres assigned him to Rochester.
When the Sabres claimed Ellis, who had zero NHL experience, off waivers just days before the season opener, it felt like Levi might stay in the minors all year.
Sure enough, the Sabres kept three goalies all season as Levi stayed put with the Amerks, playing a career-high 52 games.
Does Levi really have a path back to Buffalo?
In December, Jarmo Kekalainen replaced Kevyn Adams, the general manager who acquired Levi from the Florida Panthers almost five years ago in the Sam Reinhart trade.
Luukkonen, 27, and Lyon, 33, formed perhaps the league’s best tandem last season, combining for 42 victories as the Sabres stunned the NHL by winning the Atlantic Division.
Meanwhile, Ellis, 25, stood out as a rookie, winning eight of his 16 outings.
All three netminders are under contract for the upcoming season.
During his end-of-year season conference last month, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff talked about utilizing all three goalies again. It worked so well – they all say they get along and push each other – why not consider running it back?
Levi, who has played 39 games for the Sabres, must clear waivers to play in the AHL in 2026-27, and it seems unlikely he would pass through unclaimed.
The Sabres, of course, could “stash” Levi in Buffalo as the No. 3 if they deal one of their three goalies, although that seems unlikely.
At this point, a trade and a fresh start for Levi might benefit both sides.
By his high standards, Levi endured a down year with the Amerks last season, compiling a 23-20-9 record with a 2.83 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage and three shutouts. In 2024-25, he registered a 25-13-4 mark with a 2.20 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage and seven shutouts in 42 games.
In December, Levi told the Times Herald that by staying in Rochester, he no longer felt rushed.
Early in his pro career, the Sabres seemed hellbent on keeping him in the NHL. After he joined them late in 2022-23 following his dynamic college career at Northeastern, he immediately took over the net and nearly backstopped them to a playoff berth.
But goalies simply don’t jump from the NCAA to the NHL and stick. The position is so difficult it demands development time in the minors, often three or four years.
In both 2023-24 and 2024-25, Levi began the season with the Sabres before they assigned him to Rochester after about six weeks. In 2024-25, they lost veteran goalie James Reimer to waivers so they could keep Levi.
When Reimer later became available, they reclaimed him and sent Levi down.
“Almost every goalie in the league has gone through the process of when they need to develop to play games they have to play in the minors because it’s the most demanding position,” Kekalainen said May 20. “…. There’s very few that step right into the NHL without playing in the minors over the history of the league.
“He’s just getting through that process now. Next year, he’ll need waivers, so it’s another part of that process. We’ll see how he keeps developing, and I think he’s an NHL-caliber talent that has the potential to be a good goalie in this league for a long time.”