32 Teams, 32 Players: Devon Levi

We take a look at Buffalo Sabres goalie Devon Levi, who is still fascinating for their long-term outlook.

Now that the 2024-25 NHL season has arrived we are going to highlight one player on each team that stands out for the season. What kind of player? Well, a player that could make a difference, be an X-factor, be on the verge of a breakout, or just simply be a player under the microscope and needing to have a big season.

Basically — which player do I think is the most fascinating on each team.

We are not going in any particularly order and continue today with Devon Levi of the Buffalo Sabres.

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We have (finally) reached the conclusion of this series and this one focusses on a player that is not even currently on an NHL roster at this point.

Which might seem odd. But again, I said all along it was not about the best or most important player. Just a potential X-factor or a fascinating player.

This is a fascinating player. Also an important player for the Sabres in the short-term and the long-term.

Going into last season there was an expectation that Devon Levi was going to eventually become the franchise goalie in Buffalo. He was one of the main pieces acquired in the Sam Reinhart trade with Florida and also regarded as one of the top goalie prospects in hockey. He ended up getting a brief cup of coffee in the NHL at the end of the 2022-23 season, making the jump from the NCAA (where he was dominant) to the NHL, and more than held his own.

He posted a respectable .905 save percentage in his first seven appearances, and then earned a spot on the opening night roster in 2023-24. He struggled, got sent to the minors, dominated in the minors, and then got another opportunity later in the season.

In the meantime, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen not only took over the Sabres’ goaltending spot, he played well enough to get a long-term contract extension that pays him $4.75 million per season through the end of the 2028-29 season.

That contract, combined with his above league average play, should have cemented in as the Sabres’ starter for the foreseeable future.

So where does that leave Levi, who was sent back down to Rochester of the American Hockey League again this week.

Let’s talk about it.