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Buffalo Sabres: Deeper dive into Devon Levi’s first NHL games

By Zach Jezioro

Mar 31, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi (27) relaxes during a time out in the third period game against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi (27) relaxes during a time out in the third period game against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
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Devon Levi didn’t play a lot of games for the Buffalo Sabres, but in the games he played in, he was very impressive. Here is an inside look.

Ever since Ryan Miller got traded to the St. Louis Blues, the Buffalo Sabres have had a hard time finding a true number one goalie. Robin Lehner, Linus Ullmark, and Carter Hutton are just a few of those names who were brought in to be viewed as a potential number one goalie.

However, that all changed in 2021. Back in July of 2021, the Sabres and Florida Panthers made a trade. Buffalo acquired a first round pick and a goaltender by the name of Devon Levi in exchange for Sam Reinhart. At the time, no one really knew who Levi was. Looking back, it was a pretty solid trade for both teams.

After the trade, Levi was playing college hockey at Northeastern. Fast forward to 2023, Levi would sign his entry level contract with Buffalo. Let’s take a deeper dive into Devon’s season. In the seven games he played, Levi posted a record of 5-2-0, a goals against average of 2.94 and posted a save percentage of ,905.

Devon Levi gives Buffalo Sabres fans a lot of hope

He made his NHL debut against the New York Rangers and because of how stellar he was, the Sabres would win his first ever game in overtime. With Buffalo in the thick of the playoff race, Levi was sent out there to give the Sabres a chance in every game he played.

Unfortunately, the two games he lost were critical games and pretty much would determine whether or not they made the postseason. Regardless of the results, Levi was absolutely solid in the games he played.

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His GAA was the team’s best and his SV% was second best only behind Craig Anderson. In the small sample size, he gave Sabres fans hope for next season and going forward. Barring something crazy, I expect Levi to be the starter for Buffalo and I might be drawing premature conclusions, but he will be a staple for the Sabres in years to come.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)

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