Did the Buffalo Sabres give up on goalie Devon Levi too soon? It's a question that will linger around the franchise for the next few years and, if the Edmonton Oilers goaltender eventually does enough to represent Team Canada, the answer will probably be yes.
Levi was among the players selected by Sonny Sachdeva of Sportsnet for a hypothetical U25 Canadian roster ahead of the new NHL season. He was joined by two members of the Sabres roster, defensemen Owen Power and Olen Zellweger, an offseason acquisition from the Anaheim Ducks.
"Owen Power (23) and Brandt Clarke (23) have shown flashes of all-world talent in Buffalo and Los Angeles," Sachdeva wrote Monday. "Both took a step last season — the former logged more than 21 minutes per night for the Sabres in 2025-26, while the latter came up with a career-best 40-point effort for the Kings — and still have higher levels to find."
Although Canada features a remarkable amount of talent and depth at forward, its projected U25 group features more question marks on the blue line and between the pipes.
Levi being joined by Sebastian Cossa, who was traded from the Detroit Red Wings to the Utah Mammoth this offseason, showcases the uncertainty. Neither netminder has fully established themselves as a full-time NHL player at this stage.
The former Sabres prospect did enjoy a strong run of success with the AHL's Rochester Americans in recent years, compiling a .914 save percentage in 120 regular-season games and a .917 SV% in 16 playoff appearances.
He'd fallen out of favor with the front office, however, which came into focus when Buffalo claimed Colten Ellis off waivers from the St. Louis Blues last October and immediately installed him as the club's No. 3 goalie instead.
Levi would have needed to clear waivers himself this season, so the Sabres sent him (alongside a 2028 seventh-round draft pick) to the Oilers in exchange for a 2028 third-round selection.
The 24-year-old Quebec native owns an impressive track record, highlighted by winning the Mike Richter Award as college hockey's best goalie in back-to-back years (2022 and 2023), but concerns about his size (6'0'') have persisted at the pro level.
He'll try to prove the doubters wrong as he attempts to win Edmonton's starting goalie job amid competition from Tristan Jarry and Frederik Andersen.
Owen Power and Olen Zellweger may be critical to each other's success in 2026-27
Levi wasn't the only player from the Buffalo organization on the move this summer. The Sabres also traded defenseman Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks for a package headlined by the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, which was used to select blueliner Daxon Rudolph. (Alex Tuch was also sent to the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade deal.)
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen opted against making a blockbuster addition to replace Byram. Instead, he's betting a combination of Zellweger and Louis Crevier, another piece of the package from Chicago, can fill the void, perhaps with some help from Conor Timmins.
Likely, the second pair will likely see the tandem of Power and Zellweger quite a bit, at least when it comes to neutral- and offensive-zone starts.
There are definitely some defensive concerns with that tandem — neither one has showcased a physical style capable of clearing out the top of the crease consistently — but the offensive upside is intriguing, especially if Power can bounce back with more puck-carrying responsibilities.
Head coach Lindy Ruff was willing to shake up a lot of things within the lineup last season, but the one thing that remained constant was the top-four group of Rasmus Dahlin with Mattias Samuelsson and Power with Byram, and that was the main driver of the team's success.
In turn, making sure that second pair remains highly effective is crucial for Buffalo, and Zellweger taking a step forward represents the club's best chance.
The 22-year-old former WHL standout posted 51 points (16 goals and 35 assists) in 164 appearances across three seasons with the Ducks. He's also blocked 195 shots, illustrating a willingness to make a defensive impact despite some lackluster underlying numbers.
All told, it's really a boom-or-bust situation for the Sabres. Power and Zellweger could jell perfectly, allowing both players to take their games to another level during the upcoming campaign, which would help the Blue and Gold remain among the Eastern Conference elite.
That's not guaranteed, though. If that duo doesn't work out, Buffalo may be in the market for a top-four defensive rental ahead of the 2027 NHL trade deadline in March.
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