The tea leaves continue to suggest Buffalo Sabres prospect Devon Levi may have played his final game in the organization.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli of Hockey 24/7 listed Levi on his first trade board of the 2026 offseason, ranking him No. 23 out of 25 players on the list. No other Sabres were mentioned.
That comes after The Sheet's Jeff Marek reported on the Coming in Hot podcast that "it's over" between Buffalo and Levi, who arrived to Western New York in the 2021 Sam Reinhart trade with the Florida Panthers. Marek mentioned the Ottawa Senators as a potential suitor.
There was speculation dating back to early in the 2025-26 season about the 24-year-old goalie being unhappy about being sent down for another campaign with the AHL's Rochester Americans. He posted a 2.83 goals against average and .904 save percentage in 52 games for the Amerks this season.
As it stands, Levi remains fourth on the Sabres' goaltending depth chart behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis. Changes to that group are possible after UPL and Lyon both struggled during the club's run to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Buffalo general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and head coach Lindy Ruff both confirmed the team is likely going to carry three netminders again next season, which does create a potential NHL path for Levi if one of those other goalies are moved.
Two previous Buffalo Sabres targets land on Frank Seravalli's latest NHL trade board
The Sabres were in deep negotiations with the St. Louis Blues ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline in March with two clear targets: center Robert Thomas and defenseman Colton Parayko.
Although the Thomas aspect of the blockbuster faded away, Buffalo and St. Louis did come to an agreement on Parayko, but the veteran blueliner used his no-trade clause to block the deal.
Now the question is whether the Sabres will circle back with the Blues over the summer with both players among those on Seravalli's list of potential trade candidates.
Kekalainen expressed interest in signing Bowen Byram to an extension during his end-of-season press conference and it's hard to imagine Buffalo carrying five highly paid defenders, with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson already locked in for the long haul.
So, while Parayko may have reconsidered the Sabres with a longer timetable to consider the move — the deadline accelerated his decision-making process in March — it may no longer be a fit.
Thomas should still be among Buffalo's most notable targets this offseason, though.
Tage Thompson is most effective on the wing because it reduces the defensive burden on his shoulders and eliminates his weakness in the faceoff circle (42.8% career). Ruff has long preferred the 6-foot-6 offensive dynamo on the flank, but often didn't have a better first-line center option.
Thomas is a far more effective center (51.7% on faceoffs in his career) and he's coming off a season where he managed to post 64 points (25 goals and 39 assists) in 64 games despite the Blues posting the league's 10th-worst record.
A top line of Thomas, Thompson and Zach Benson feels like a potential gold mine, with Thomas and Benson proving themselves as high-end playmakers capable of feeding Tage, one of the NHL's elite finishers from anywhere in the offensive zone.
The Blues star wouldn't come cheap, as it would likely cost Buffalo a roster player or two along with a significant package of prospects and draft picks, but he could be the missing piece up front.
So, don't be surprised if there are rumors about the Sabres and Blues restarting trade talks in the weeks ahead as Kekalainen tries to build the Blue and Gold into a sustainable contender.
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