Devon Levi is stuck with the AHL's Rochester Americans indefinitely as the Buffalo Sabres try to solve a three-goalie logjam with Alex Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis splitting starts at the NHL level.
It's not what Levi expected when he signed with the Sabres in 2023 after a standout collegiate career at Northeastern University, and it's led to rumors the 23-year-old Canadian netminder was unhappy after being assigned back to the Amerks to open the 2025-26 campaign.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Friday on the 32 Thoughts Podcast he "doesn't believe" Levi requested a trade from the Sabres, but the NHL insider explained there's a lot more to the story when it comes to the goaltender's relationship with the organization.
"I do think the Sabres know that when they signed him they told him there was gonna be a path for him to play [in the NHL]," Friedman said. "I got in trouble a couple years ago because I used the word 'guaranteed' and the Sabres got mad at the word guaranteed, and I shouldn't have said it. But what they told him was there was for a path for him to play there."
He concluded that the situation "feels heavy in Buffalo right now," not only in regards to Levi but also in general as the Sabres once again have reached last place in the Eastern Conference.
How much longer will Devon Levi be willing to remain in the AHL before he seeks an NHL opportunity with the Buffalo Sabres or another team?
The Levi saga has taken more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie novel.
Buffalo gave the two-time NCAA Mike Richter Award winner an immediate opportunity to play in the NHL after signing him out of college. He played well during that first foray in pro hockey, tallying a 2.94 goals against average and .905 save percentage across seven starts in 2022-23.
That gave the Sabres hope they'd be able to move forward with UPL and Levi as their tandem in net for the long haul.
Alas, the key piece of the Sam Reinhart trade with the Florida Panthers suffered a sharp drop off in play the following year. He compiled a 3.10 GAA and .899 SV% in 23 appearances, which led Eric Comrie to take over the backup role.
Levi has since spent most of his time in the AHL aside from nine games last season during which his struggles in the world's best hockey league continued (.872 SV%).
The 2020 seventh-round pick has been mostly terrific for the Amerks, though. He's recorded a 2.35 GAA and .919 SV% in 76 contests for Rochester.
His form dipped recently as speculation about his future began to amplify, however, which led Americans head coach Michael Leone to deliver some blunt criticism: "He's got to be better."
"I'm just being honest," Leone told reporters. "I understand that that's a lot of goals in a three-game stretch, you know what I'm saying? We believe in him. At the same time, part of development is we need a save. Like, the fifth one can't go in, you know what I'm saying? Like, it just can't. Like, I understand. I was the one who pulled him twice."
Ultimately, it's unlikely Levi receives much, if any, playing time for the Sabres this season unless general manager Kevyn Adams makes multiple moves at the position. An argument can be made the goalie's recent performance suggests the additional development time is needed.
It feels unlikely the goaltender, who's been viewed as a future NHL starter for several years, is going to simply remain in the AHL for the long haul without a clear path to the big club, though.
So, while Levi must play better, Adams also needs to get more aggressive trying to clear out the overcrowded depth chart between the pipes.