Buffalo Sabres rookies Levi, Benson would benefit from sitting out

The Buffalo Sabres have a pair of rookies who popped up on the injury report today with lower-body injuries, meaning they could miss tomorrow’s game.

Devon Levi had some lean moments in last night’s outing vs. the Calgary Flames, but more than a few of his saves kept the stagnant Buffalo Sabres in a game that should have resulted in a blowout loss. I remember not too long ago when the Blue and Gold looked that bad defensively, that they’d give up seven goals, but Levi helped give them a fighting chance. Unfortunately, it also resulted in a lower-body injury for the rookie goaltender, meaning he’s likely out for tomorrow’s contest.

And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as we can all agree the Sabres should be rotating Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in to give the 21-year-old time to watch and process the game from another perspective.

It will only benefit Levi if he sat out not only tomorrow’s outing vs. the New York Islanders, but also on Monday when the Sabres host the Montreal Canadiens. When the Sabres travel to Ottawa to face the Senators, Levi should be good to go barring any setback, and he will be well-rested.

Buffalo Sabres should sit Benson, Levi for at least the next game

Zach Benson has exceeded expectations so far over his first four games in Buffalo, even if he and the Mittelstadt line struggled through an ugly performance last night. In 15 shifts, Benson finished with a meager minus-3 rating, and he failed to log a shot on goal.

Now that he too sat out of practice, Benson could also miss tomorrow’s game and catch the opportunity to watch from the press box. One bad game shouldn’t entice the Sabres to send him back to the WHL, but it shows he, like Levi, can improve his game by taking the night off and catching it at a different angle.

Last season, the Buffalo Sabres did this at times for Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka, and the duo came back stronger after they had a chance to watch. The same thing could also occur for Benson and Levi when they see the ice again.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)