The Rochester Americans' season came to an end with a first-round elimination at the hands of the Toronto Marlies in the AHL's 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
It was a disappointing end of the campaign for the Amerks, who struggled mightily during the stretch run of the regular season, and it leaves one massive question heading into the summer: Did goalie Devon Levi just play his final game as a Buffalo Sabres prospect?
Levi arrived to the Sabres organization in 2021 as part of a blockbuster trade sending Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers, and he was always viewed as the club's goaltender of the future despite some up-and-down play over the past five years.
That outlook has shifted significantly over the past six months, though.
Buffalo claimed Colten Ellis off waivers from the St. Louis Blues in October, which added another hurdle between Levi and a full-time NHL role. The franchise also received strong play from both Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon to end a 14-year playoff drought.
UPL, Lyon and Ellis all remain under contract for the 2026-27 season, and the Sabres have a few other netminders on promising development paths, which creates uncertainty about where Levi fits.
Buffalo Sabres have several goaltending questions to answer during the 2026 NHL offseason
The Sabres' goalie depth chart for next season could still change based on the remainder of the team's playoff run but, as it stands, it would be a surprise if Lyon wasn't on the roster.
He's brought much-needed stability after Luukkonen struggled in the first two games of Buffalo's opening-round series against the Boston Bruins, and the 33-year-old journeyman has been a vocal leader for a young roster featuring several players making their first foray into playoff hockey.
UPL isn't a lock to remain with the Sabres, both because of his early postseason struggles and a long-term contract that pays him $4.75 million annually through 2028-29. Trading him to a goalie-needy club to create some additional salary-cap space could make sense.
Even in that scenario, however, Buffalo general manager Jarmo Kekalainen would also have to deal away Ellis to create a permanent spot for Levi with the Blue and Gold.
Ellis would have to clear waivers to get sent down to the AHL, which is why the Sabres stuck with a three-goalie rotation all season rather potentially losing him for nothing, and it's unlikely that mindset will change after a solid rookie season that saw him post a .903 save percentage in 16 games.
While the three-headed goaltending monster worked for Buffalo this season, it's probably not something the front office will want to replicate in 2026-27 and beyond.
Meanwhile, it's time for Levi to get an opportunity in the NHL. He has nothing left to prove with the Amerks after compiling a .914 SV% across 120 regular-season games and a .917 SV% in 16 postseason contests.
There was speculation he'd requested a trade after getting assigned to Rochester at the start of the current campaign, and it's hard to imagine he'd be interested in another AHL season at age 24.
His prospect pedigree and track record in the minors should ensure he has trade value for Buffalo, though he's more likely to fetch a young player in a similar position (on the fringe and looking for an NHL opportunity) rather than a high-impact player or top-tier draft pick in return.
Is it possible Kekalainen moves both UPL and Ellis to form a Lyon-Levi tandem in 2026-27? Sure, but it feels like trading Levi is a more probable outcome based on where things stand right now.
The Sabres are aiming to enter a period of sustained Stanley Cup contention, so trading from an area of strength to upgrade other parts of the NHL roster makes the most sense this summer.
That could mean Levi finally gets his chance at the big leagues with a fresh start elsewhere in the months ahead.
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