Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi may only have seven NHL games under his belt, but he will play a massive role in how much success the team has in 2023-24. The 21-year-old netminder can take over as the Sabres’ starter and burst onto the scene as one of the league’s best young goalies. We’ve seen glimpses of Levi’s potential already, but the real test is how quickly and consistently Levi can play at a franchise level.
Asking a 21-year-old to take over as an NHL starter is a big ask, but the Sabres are going to need Levi in the net if they are going to take the next step. Buffalo narrowly missed the playoffs last season and is hoping to make the jump into the postseason this year. They haven’t played a playoff game since 2011, and 2023-24 could be a huge turning point for the franchise.
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Buffalo’s other goaltenders are Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Both are solid players and serviceable backups, but I don’t see either being a playoff-level starter. If anyone in Buffalo is going to be “the guy,” it’s Devon Levi.
Eric Comrie played 19 games for the Sabres last season and posted a 9-9-1 record with a 3.67 GAA and .886 sv%. These are not exactly dazzling numbers. Luukkonen played in 33 games, posting a 17-11-4 record with a 3.61 GAA and .892 sv%. Both goalies had goals against averages over 3.50 and save percentages under .900. Craig Anderson was actually Buffalo’s best goalie last year, but he’s now retired. I don’t believe Comrie or Luukkonen are true starter material, and that means it’s up to Devon Levi to take over.
Again, that’s a big ask of a 21-year-old, but Levi has been successful at every level he’s played at so far. His 2020 World Juniors performance for Canada was one for the ages. Seven games started, 6-1 record, 0.75 GAA, .964 sv%, and three shutouts.
He was arguably the best goalie in college hockey during his two years at Northeastern. He put up a 21-10-1 record in 2021-22 with a 1.54 GAA, .952 sv%, and 10 shutouts. Then followed that up with a 17-12-5 record in 2022-23, along with a 2.24 GAA, .933 sv%, and 6 shutouts with a less talented team.
Even in his limited NHL experience at the end of last season, Levi went 5-2-0 with a 2.94 GAA and .905 sv%. Had it not been for one awful game against Detroit, where he gave up 6 goals, those numbers would be even better. Devon Levi has the talent and potential to be a good starter now and possibly one of the best goalies in the league down the road.
Goaltender is the most important position in hockey, and it could be the difference in making or not making the playoffs for the Buffalo Sabres. We know their offense is explosive. Buffalo was the third-highest-scoring team in the NHL last year with 3.57 GF/G and could be even better this season. The problem is they also gave up the seventh most goals in the league last season with 3.62 GA/G.
The Sabres need to drop the goals against if they are going to make the playoffs. Devon Levi is the guy with the talent and potential to be a game-changer in the net. For Buffalo to have the season that they want and take the next step, Devon Levi has to be the starting goalie and a good one. I truly believe Levi holds the key to Buffalo’s success and playoff chances in 2023-24 and beyond.
