The Buffalo Sabres loaned Devon Levi to Rochester, and it looks like he will make the most of the experience in more ways than one.
Devon Levi sounds like he enjoyed his first practice with the Rochester Americans, and he also sounds as though he will enjoy his time in the Flower City when he gets his first in-game experience. What did the rookie goaltender say when meeting with the press today? Check out the following post from the Amerks X page, and get encouraged.
“I’m here to win games. I’m here to play my best. And have some fun doing it.”
— Rochester Americans (@AmerksHockey) November 29, 2023
LET’S DO IT, DEVON 👊 pic.twitter.com/qqTdA0Diem
It’s great to see Levi, who we all thought was going to be the No. 1 goaltender in the net for the Buffalo Sabres before the season began, taking such a textbook approach. The circumstances surrounding this shouldn’t be looked at as a demotion for the 21-year-old, despite his early-season struggles, since sending him to Rochester was a logical move in the first place.
Devon Levi takes loan to Rochester in stride, and that’s a great sign
We only need to look at Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and how he’s performed recently to gain an idea of what this will do for Levi. Luukkonen didn’t post fantastic numbers for the most part when he was in Rochester, and we all know how bad he looked at times last season.
But if the 24-year-old keeps playing at the high level he’s shown us lately, then it foreshadows what Levi will become. And it all starts with taking the move in stride.
The first time we may see Levi in action could occur on December 1st, when the Amerks play the Belleville Senators. If we don’t see him on the first, expect Levi to make his AHL debut the following night when they once again play Belleville. It’s premature to think Levi will return to the dominating ways that we became accustomed to when he was in college, but you can expect plenty of highlight-reel moments in time.