Devon Levi’s move to Edmonton has turned into a fast start, and the former Sabres goalie is making the most of it.
Levi is now 8-1-0 after the Oilers’ 3-1 win over the New York Rangers on Monday, giving him a 2.75 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage. That kind of run has put him squarely in the middle of Edmonton’s goaltending picture, even if the long-term answer there still isn’t settled.
Levi’s path out of Buffalo was already taking shape before the trade. The Sabres had addressed their depth in net by bringing in Colten Ellis off waivers from St.
Louis just before last season began, and Levi was sent to Rochester after training camp because he was waiver exempt. It was the first time since signing with Buffalo in 2023 that he did not get an NHL look.
After last season, Buffalo moved him to Edmonton in exchange for a 2028 third-round pick, and Levi said he saw the possibility coming.
“I knew there was a good chance of getting traded. So on July 1, I had my phone in hand,” Levi said.
“My agents had a few conversations with them (Buffalo). So we knew that one guy was moving.
When I heard it was Edmonton, I was pumped. Like, I was so happy.”
Edmonton entered the season with Levi looking like a fallback option behind veteran Tristan Jarry and Stanley Cup-winning free agent Frederik Andersen, but Jarry struggled early and Andersen began the year on injured reserve. Levi has taken advantage of the opening and has given the Oilers steady results.
“That's why I'm here, right? The last line of defence,” Levi said.
“I kind of embrace that. I love it.
If we played a perfect game, we wouldn't need a goalie. And they’ve got my back when I need them to-which isn’t much.
We usually play really good.”
Whether Levi has fully locked down the starting job in Edmonton remains unclear, especially with Andersen still yet to play a game. But if Levi keeps stacking wins, it will be hard for Mike Babcock to keep going anywhere else in net.
In Other News...
Sam Carrick's Sabres Role Is Suddenly Looking Far Less Secure
Sam Carrick arrived in Buffalo at the trade deadline in March, brought in from the Rangers to add some grit, help on faceoffs and give the Sabres a sturdier look down the middle during their playoff push. He did his part in the role he was asked to fill, but an injury limited him and kept him to just one postseason game, leaving the club with only a brief look at how he fit when the games tightened up.
This season has not been nearly as straightforward. Carrick has had trouble locking down a consistent spot on the fourth line as Buffalo works through a crowded depth chart and its own injury issues, and that uncertainty has only fueled questions about where he fits long term. For a player brought in to provide reliability, the next stretch feels important, with his place on the roster now looking far less settled than it did when he first arrived. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Breakout Winger Is Making Buffalo's Next Decision Much Tougher
Jack Quinns jump this season has given the Sabres something every front office wants and rarely gets: a young winger whose game is starting to match the belief in his talent. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen has pointed to Quinns added strength and stronger commitment as key reasons he has become more effective on the ice, and the scoring uptick has followed. For a Buffalo team looking for more finishing punch, Quinns emergence has been one of the more encouraging developments of the year.
It also leaves the Sabres with a tougher call coming soon enough. Quinn is still under team control, but his next contract will need to reflect a player who is trending well above where he was when he signed his current deal. Buffalo will have to weigh the safer short-term route against a longer commitment that could become much more expensive if this version of Quinn keeps building on what he has shown. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres May Need A Tough Jiri Kulich Decision Soon
Jiri Kulichs season has already been shaped by more interruption than momentum, and the Sabres are now weighing whether a different setting might help him get back on track. The young forward has missed significant time because of a blood clot and later injuries, and after returning he has not been able to settle into the kind of rhythm Buffalo hoped to see from him.
Lindy Ruff has acknowledged how difficult the stretch has been for Kulich and pointed to a possible stint with the Rochester Americans as a way to get him more consistent ice time and rebuild his game. For a Sabres team still trying to sort out its forward mix, the question is no longer just when Kulich can play, but where he can best recover the form that made him part of the conversation in the first place. [Read more 🡒]