According to an announcement from the Buffalo Sabres, the team has traded netminder Devon Levi and a 2028 seventh-round pick to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2028 third-round pick.
It was a foregone conclusion that Levi would be moved by the Sabres this offseason. The former standout at Northeastern University has been seeking NHL playing time for a few years now, and there wasn’t much access to it in Buffalo.
As one of the most goaltending-needy teams in the NHL, the Oilers immediately became a popular trade option for Levi. He’s inexpensive and is still young at 24 years old. Even in the worst-case scenario of Levi not becoming the goaltender that he or the Oilers believe he can, Edmonton didn’t give up all that much to acquire him.
Despite being the fourth-string option in Buffalo, Levi likely should have been playing above that. Throughout the past three years, he’s been solid with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, managing a 64-39-22 record in 120 games with a .914 SV% and 2.52 GAA, including 10 shutouts. Some stretches have been better than others, but all in all, Levi has little left to prove in the AHL.
Unfortunately, his NHL production hasn’t been as inspiring. Debuting in the 2022-23 campaign, Levi has a 17-17-2 record in the NHL across 39 games with a .894 SV% and 3.29 GAA. However, it’s worth mentioning that the Sabres were not the same team they are today when Levi was playing for them.
Regardless, Levi now has his opportunity. There will be a lot of expectations placed on him in Edmonton, but he should have every chance to capture the starter’s crease as soon as the first game of the year.