The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday they signed goalie Dustin Wolf to a seven-year, $52.5 million contract extension. It's a situation the Buffalo Sabres should be watching closely as they navigate the development of top goaltending prospect Devon Levi.
Wolf (6'0'', 166 pounds) and Levi (6'0'', 192 pounds) share a lot of similarities as undersized goalies drafted in the late rounds who emerged as highly touted prospects despite some growing pains during their journey to the NHL. It's a quest that's ongoing for the Sabres netminder.
The good news for Buffalo is that Wolf, who will turn 25 during the 2025-26 season, eventually found his footing and is now on track to become a top-tier goaltender. The Sabres will hope Levi, 23, follows a comparable path over the next few years.
Analyzing Wolf's Flames development
Wolf was a stud across four years with the WHL's Everett Silvertips. He compiled a 1.84 goals against average and .935 save percentage in 149 junior appearances. He twice won the Del Wilson Trophy as the league's top goaltender and earned the CHL Goaltender of the Year Award in 2020.
The American then made the jump to the AHL, where his run of success continued. He posted a 2.29 GAA and .926 SV% in 141 games for the Stockton Heat and Calgary Wranglers.
Want to know Levi's numbers with the AHL's Rochester Americans? A 2.28 GAA and .922 SV% in 68 contests, a remarkably similar performance to Wolf in North America's top minor league.
In addition, Wolf struggled during his first few forays into the NHL. He owned a 3.03 GAA and .896 SV% through his first 18 games with the Flames between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
It's pretty much the same story for Levi. His career NHL numbers (3.29 GAA and .894 SV%) are considerably below every other stop of his development journey, albeit in a small sample size.
Wolf finally earned a full-time role in Calgary last season, and he made the most of it. He finished second in Calder Trophy voting and eighth in Vezina Trophy voting on the strength of a 29-16-8 record with a 2.64 GAA and .910 SV%.
His underlying numbers were equally promising as he ranked 14th among NHL goalies in both goals saved above average per 60 minutes (+0.28) and high-danger save percentage (.834), according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Flames rewarded him with a long-term contract extension that showcases their belief he'll remain among the upper echelon of goaltenders for the foreseeable future.
What does Levi's Sabres future hold?
Levi is expected to start the 2025-26 campaign with the Amerks. Ideally, he'll spend the entire season in the AHL, which would likely give him over 100 games of experience in Rochester. It'd also put him in position to garner more playoff starts in the minors.
Whether that's possible will hinge on incumbent starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
UPL looked like a star on the rise in his own right when he finished his first full season as Buffalo's starter (2023-24) with a .910 SV%. His numbers dropped off a cliff in 2024-25, however, lowlighted by an unsightly .887 SV% across 55 appearances.
The Sabres signed journeyman Alex Lyon as their new backup. It's a role he's proved capable of handling over the past decade, but it's unlikely the organization will want him to handle a starter's workload if UPL is either hurt or struggling.
So, Levi's outlook for the new season is heavily tied to Luukkonen's performance. The top prospect may be called on as a last-ditch effort to keep Buffalo in the playoff race if UPL doesn't bounce back.
It's definitely preferable for the Canadian goalie to spend the next eight months away from the bright lights of the NHL, though. The AHL is a far better development environment. A place to work on his game without having to face the best shooters in the world on a nightly basis.
If Levi can produce another season of clear progress with the Amerks, he should be ready to take on a full-time role in Buffalo for the 2026-27 season.
And, if UPL continues to falter between the pipes for the Sabres, it's possible Levi could once again follow in Wolf's footsteps by quickly emerging as the No. 1 goalie on the depth chart.