The Buffalo Sabres are sending goalie Devon Levi to the AHL.
Under different circumstances, this would be just another transaction, worthy of mention but not a massive talking point. Levi, after all, is 21 years old and a rookie. He’s started only 15 games in his NHL career. Less than a year ago he was still playing in college. The vast majority of goalies spend time in the minor leagues before jumping into the NHL. Nearly every goalie who has come from college hockey has played in the AHL before playing a significant role in the NHL. The Sabres thought Levi was different after an encouraging seven-game sample at the end of last season. They thought he could handle the transition from Northeastern and be their starting goalie during a season with playoff expectations.
As it turns out, Levi wasn’t quite ready. He started Buffalo’s first four games of the season and then had a lower-body injury that kept him out for a couple of weeks. In total, he’s started eight games. The Sabres are 3-4-1 in those games, and Levi has a save percentage below .900 in six of those eight starts. He has a 3.73 goals against average and a .876 save percentage so far this season. Those numbers aren’t up to par in the NHL.
The simple fact for the Sabres is that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie have outplayed Levi this season. Luukkonen and Levi need to be in the net more often, and Levi needs to play to develop. He’ll get a chance to do that in Rochester.
Carrying three goalies has also been an unnecessary hindrance to the team’s roster flexibility. Even with injuries at forward, the Sabres delayed calling up Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen until last week because there was no room. Part of that is because the Sabres have been carrying three goalies. They also have eight defensemen on their active roster because Ryan Johnson played his way into a permanent spot after getting called up as an injury fill-in.
Now the Sabres are one step closer to having a more traditional roster set up. When Jordan Greenway returns to the team, the Sabres can have 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goalies. When Tage Thompson and Zemgus Girgensons are back from injury, Kulich and Rosen can return to Rochester or the team could waive defenseman Jacob Bryson or send Johnson to the AHL to keep one of the young forwards in the NHL.
Either way, the Sabres now have more flexibility by putting Levi in the AHL. And this shouldn’t be an indictment on Levi. Go around the league and think of the best goaltenders. Almost every one spent significant time developing in the AHL or another pro league. Levi was one of the greatest college goalies of all time, but the other all-time great college netminders played in the AHL. Ryan Miller played more than 170 AHL games. Connor Hellebuyck played 88 AHL games. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, a standout at Boston University, played more than 40 AHL games.
jahSEEus
All I hear is Calder Cup coming to Rochester!
ZestycloseTension747
He got his 9 games and was sent back to junior…wink wink
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The Buffalo Sabres are sending goalie Devon Levi to the AHL.
Under different circumstances, this would be just another transaction, worthy of mention but not a massive talking point. Levi, after all, is 21 years old and a rookie. He’s started only 15 games in his NHL career. Less than a year ago he was still playing in college. The vast majority of goalies spend time in the minor leagues before jumping into the NHL. Nearly every goalie who has come from college hockey has played in the AHL before playing a significant role in the NHL. The Sabres thought Levi was different after an encouraging seven-game sample at the end of last season. They thought he could handle the transition from Northeastern and be their starting goalie during a season with playoff expectations.
As it turns out, Levi wasn’t quite ready. He started Buffalo’s first four games of the season and then had a lower-body injury that kept him out for a couple of weeks. In total, he’s started eight games. The Sabres are 3-4-1 in those games, and Levi has a save percentage below .900 in six of those eight starts. He has a 3.73 goals against average and a .876 save percentage so far this season. Those numbers aren’t up to par in the NHL.
The simple fact for the Sabres is that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie have outplayed Levi this season. Luukkonen and Levi need to be in the net more often, and Levi needs to play to develop. He’ll get a chance to do that in Rochester.
Carrying three goalies has also been an unnecessary hindrance to the team’s roster flexibility. Even with injuries at forward, the Sabres delayed calling up Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen until last week because there was no room. Part of that is because the Sabres have been carrying three goalies. They also have eight defensemen on their active roster because Ryan Johnson played his way into a permanent spot after getting called up as an injury fill-in.
Now the Sabres are one step closer to having a more traditional roster set up. When Jordan Greenway returns to the team, the Sabres can have 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goalies. When Tage Thompson and Zemgus Girgensons are back from injury, Kulich and Rosen can return to Rochester or the team could waive defenseman Jacob Bryson or send Johnson to the AHL to keep one of the young forwards in the NHL.
Either way, the Sabres now have more flexibility by putting Levi in the AHL. And this shouldn’t be an indictment on Levi. Go around the league and think of the best goaltenders. Almost every one spent significant time developing in the AHL or another pro league. Levi was one of the greatest college goalies of all time, but the other all-time great college netminders played in the AHL. Ryan Miller played more than 170 AHL games. Connor Hellebuyck played 88 AHL games. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, a standout at Boston University, played more than 40 AHL games.
All I hear is Calder Cup coming to Rochester!
He got his 9 games and was sent back to junior…wink wink