Ex-Sabres prospect shines as Buffalo's goalies falter early in 2026-27

As the Buffalo Sabres endure some early-season struggles in the crease, ranking 29th in team save percentage (.850) through seven games, Devon Levi is suddenly making a strong bid to establish himself as the Edmonton Oilers' starting goalie.

Levi, who spent five years in the Sabres organization before his trade to Edmonton in July, has stopped 87 of the 91 shots he's faced (.956 SV%) over his last three outings. The hot streak comes after he gave up seven goals in his team debut.

The 24-year-old Canadian once looked like Buffalo's goaltender of the future, making an immediate jump to the NHL in 2023 after a standout college career at Northeastern University, which saw him win the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA's top netminder twice.

Levi started his Sabres career on a high note, posting a .905 SV% across seven games while nearly helping the club earn a playoff berth during the final stages of the 2022-23 season.

His numbers dipped from there (.892 SV% over his final 32 Buffalo appearances), and he fell to fourth on the organization's goaltending depth chart last season after Colten Ellis was claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.

So, Levi spent the entirety of 2025-26 with the AHL's Rochester Americans and he would have required waivers to make another trip to the Amerks this season. Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen instead traded him to the Oilers for a 2028 third-round draft pick.

Perhaps what happened next was a fait accompli.

Levi is thriving with consistent NHL playing time in Edmonton and Buffalo's goalies, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis have struggled out of the gates, though UPL has played better over the team's last two outings.

Although the sample size is far too small to draw any definitive conclusions, that's just how these situations tend to start out. Goaltender performance is incredibly difficult to predict from year to year, so giving up on a previously highly touted prospect always comes with risk.

The Sabres' three-goalie rotation of UPL, Ellis and Alex Lyon, who's missed the start of the current campaign with an upper-body injury, did play quite well last season. It's possible the trio eventually finds its rhythm again, perhaps once Lyon is healthy.

But Levi's early success with the Oilers is already starting to raise some eyebrows, especially since Buffalo's search for its netminder of the future remains as active as ever.

Connor Hellebuyck trade rumors still linger for the Sabres, too

Buffalo made an effort to land Winnipeg Jets superstar Connor Hellebuyck ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. Although an agreement was never reached, the speculation has remained active with the All-Star goaltender still away from the franchise since not reporting for training camp.

His public trade request before the start of the campaign caused a renewed round of rumors, but Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has so far been unwilling to drop his sky-high asking price.

While it's understandable Kekalainen hasn't wanted to overpay for a 33-year-old goalie coming off the worst year of his decorated career, at what point does his stance begin to change?

The Sabres are stuck in a loaded Eastern Conference where every point will likely be crucial when it comes to the battle for the final playoff spots. Trying to remain competitive won't be easy if they continue to receive some of the league's worst play between the pipes.

Goaltending isn't Buffalo's only problem. Both the power play and penalty kill have underwhelmed and the club's finishing, which is typically a strength, has been subpar.

Those factors are why the Blue and Gold are sitting at .500 (3-3-1) despite mostly strong underlying numbers in 5-on-5 situations.

Is Kekalainen going to take a page out of Kevyn Adams' playbook and sit idly by, just hoping from improved internal performance? Or will he eventually jump into action if the team's goalies continue to perform at their current level, even after Lyon returns?

Only time will tell, but it'd be frustrating for Sabres fans if, after finally ending a miserable 14-year playoff drought, the club immediately falls back below the postseason cut line in 2027.

Success from Levi in Edmonton, and Hellebuyck if he's ultimately traded elsewhere, would merely add to that irritation if Buffalo's own fortunes don't turn around.

Yes, it's too early to press the panic button, but Kekalainen should at least be on alert.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow