Goaltending prospect Devon Levi fell out of favor with the Buffalo Sabres in recent years and currently sits fourth on the depth chart behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis ahead of a busy summer for the franchise.
As a result, his name has popped up as a potential trade option for the Sabres, who'd have to place him on waivers if they wanted to send him back to the AHL's Rochester Americans next season. There was prior speculation the goalie was unhappy about going to the Amerks for the 2025-26 campaign.
Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported Thursday that Levi would still generate interest around the NHL if Buffalo made him available this offseason.
"A 2020 seventh-round pick who had a stellar NCAA career at Northeastern, Levi is still viewed favorably by other NHL teams," Johnston wrote as part of his latest NHL trade board. "While on the smaller side for a top-level goaltender, he compensates with agility and athleticism."
Levi won the Mike Richter Award as college hockey's best goaltender two years in a row (2022 and 2023) while posting a .942 save percentage across 66 appearances for the Huskies.
The former Florida Panthers prospect, who arrived to Buffalo in the Sam Reinhart trade, made an immediate jump to the NHL and played quite well. He compiled a .905 SV% across his first seven starts with the Sabres late in the 2022-23 campaign.
His play at the top level dipped over the next two seasons (.892 SV% in 32 games), but he remained effective at the AHL level. He registered a .914 SV% in 120 regular-season games for Rochester to go along with a .917 mark in 16 playoff contests.
Levi, who's now 24 years old, has nothing left to prove in the minors. It's time for him to receive a full-time NHL opportunity, whether it comes in Buffalo or elsewhere.
Could the Sabres trade Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to shake up their goalie room and create a spot for Devon Levi?
Buffalo's run in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs came to an end in the second round in large part due to shaky goaltending. Neither UPL nor Lyon could grab a firm hold of the starting job, which left head coach Lindy Ruff with a tricky decision for each game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Additionally, the Sabres' biggest issue this summer will be salary-cap space. They're projected to have just $11.9 million available (via PuckPedia) and that's based on a roster without a reserve defenseman, so the actual number is probably closer to $11 million.
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen would like to re-sign impending UFA winger Alex Tuch, though that's starting to look like a long shot, and he's also aiming to sign cornerstones Zach Benson and Bowen Byram to long-term contract extensions.
Then there are other RFAs like Peyton Krebs and Michael Kesserling, and the Sabres should be in the market for a high-profile trade to bolster their top-six forward group. That type of deal would likely include bringing in a player with a decently high salary.
So, in short, Buffalo needs to create some financial flexibility.
One potential way to do that would be dealing away Luukkonen, who carries a $4.75 million cap hit through 2028-29 and never looked fully comfortable in the crease during the postseason. He posted an .876 SV% across six playoff appearances.
Make no mistake, trading UPL would come with obvious risks. He posted the club's best save percentage during the regular season (.909) and he's the only netminder on the roster who's handled a full-time starting role at the NHL level.
Yet, Kekalainen could decide it's time to shake things up between the pipes and there should be interest around the league in a 27-year-old goalie who's flashed the ability to serve as a true No. 1, albeit with plenty of inconsistency mixed in.
It'd be a quick way for Buffalo to create around $5 million in cap space, and it could move forward with Lyon, Ellis and Levi as its goaltending trio for next season. The hope would be either Ellis or Levi then emerges as a long-term solution at the position.
Is it a foolproof method? Of course not. But the Sabres will need to get creative this summer, particularly if they want to keep Tuch, who's seeking upwards of $10.5 million annually.
That said, the more likely outcome is Buffalo trading away Levi, probably for a middle-round draft pick or a prospect in a similarly stuck situation, and running it back with the same three goalies.
It'd put Levi in a position to prove the Sabres front office wrong in the years ahead.
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