The Buffalo Sabres playoff hopes may be over, or close to, but the fanbase has got to be excited for Devon Levi’s debut that will occur in the near future.
We know Devon Levi will be playing his first NHL game in the near future. We don’t know when, but March 27th against the Montreal Canadiens is a solid guess.
While I’ve been on the apprehensive side about playing Levi so early given the Buffalo Sabres horrid play lately, he’s playing at some point, and that’s something we all have to accept. Further, I’m not going to lie, of course, I’m, despite my apprehension, excited to see him suit up for the Sabres.
And actually, I have a few reasons to be anticipating his inevitable debut with excitement. Here are three reasons.
1 – Greater sense of urgency from the Buffalo Sabres
Craig Anderson, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and Eric Comrie all have NHL experience. Maybe not extensive, as is the case with the latter two, but experience nonetheless.
Now you have a goaltender with zero experience coming in with Devon Levi. That alone will heighten, or at least it should heighten, the Sabres sense of urgency.
When Levi plays, expect better overall transitioning, which will lead to better defense. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Buffalo do more to keep the puck in the offensive zone, perhaps with a dump and chase every now and again instead of trying to gash their way up the ice, only to commit a turnover.
2 – Craig Anderson’s presence
When Craig Anderson re-signed in 2022, it split the Buffalo Sabres fanbase. In hindsight, it was smart to retain one of the most experienced goaltenders in the game today.
At least for this final month, three weeks really, Levi has one remarkable mentor. You can expect Anderson to do all he can to get Levi ready not just for his first few NHL games, but to also put him in position to compete for the job next year.
We don’t know where Levi will play in 2023-24, but we do know he will have a chance to snag the starting job out of camp. Anderson’s presence could augment Levi’s development both now and even in the far future.
3 – Another potential piece to the puzzle
Overall, we don’t know what Devon Levi will look like once he’s between the pipes. But as one of the best goaltenders in the history of basically every organization he’s played in, odds are higher that he will add yet another piece to a young and exciting puzzle.
Yeah, times have been tough lately for the Buffalo Sabres. But that doesn’t take away what they’ve built this year as the league’s youngest team. And it tells us the puzzle is slowly coming together, and that they’re further along than they were last season.
Levi could be that next piece. And if the Buffalo Sabres decide to call up a few prospects once that infamous ‘e’ sits next to their name, you might just see a few more potential pieces in play here.