The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games.
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#3 - Devon Levi - Goalie (Rochester - AHL, Buffalo - NHL)
The Montreal native was a 2020 seventh-round pick of the Florida Panthers and was acquired by the Sabres in July 2021 in the deal that sent Sam Reinhart to the Sunshine State and brought back a 2022 first-round pick that turned into center Jiri Kulich.
The 23-year-old's list of accomplishments includes winning the top goaltender at the 2021 World Junior, making Team Canada for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and winning the Mike Richter Award for best NCAA goaltender twice at Northeastern University before turning pro and signing with Buffalo late in the 2022-23 season.
Levi played well in a seven-game stint at the end of the season, which convinced the Sabres hierarchy that he was ready to be their starter, but after going 1-3 in four straight starts at the start of last season, the weight of being the go-to guy appeared to be too much, too soon.
After posting a 10-8-2 record with a sub-900 save percentage in the first half, Buffalo decided it was best for the youngster to play regularly in the AHL, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen getting most of the starts with the Sabres. The decision paid dividends, as Levi went 16-6-4, with a 2.42 GAA and .927 save %, and had a positive experience with the Amerks.
Last season, Levi started as a backup for Luukkonen after Anaheim claimed veteran James Reimer, but the youngster went 1-4-0 in his first five starts. After Reimer was reclaimed, the Sabres took advantage of Levi’s waiver exemption and chose to have him play regularly in the AHL. In 42 games, Levi compiled an impressive 25-13-4 record, 2.20 GAA, and .919 save percentage, but the Amerks lost to Laval in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The path to playing in the NHL this season is in question, with Luukkonen likely to remain the workhorse in Buffalo and the club adding veteran Alex Lyon on a two-year free agent deal. Levi signed a two-year extension at $812,500 per season in July, but still being waiver-exempt means it is likely that he remains in Rochester at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
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