The Buffalo Sabres have signed goaltender Devon Levi to a two-year contract at an annual average of $812,500, the team’s official X account announced.
Levi, 24 in December, was originally selected by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round of the 2020 Draft, before they dealt him to the Sabres as the main return in the Sam Reinhart trade, which also included a 2022 first-round pick.
Levi has only made 39 appearances and 36 starts in his three NHL seasons, and is 17-17-2 with an .894 save percentage and a 3.29 goals allowed on average. However, despite this new deal, there is no clear path to playing time this upcoming campaign.
Buffalo already has Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who has assumed the number one goaltending duties over the last two years and will make $4.75 million through 2028-29. The Sabres also already signed Alex Lyon to a two-year, $3 million contract earlier this month. Levi is a talented netminder, but it looks like he will spend the majority of his time in the AHL.
He did impress with the Rochester Americans in 2024-25, going 25-13-6 with a .919 save percentage and a 2.20 GAA, and played 26 games there in 2023-24.
Adding goaltending depth, particularly depth that felt valuable enough to sacrifice a Selke finalist and 50-goal scorer in Reinhart, makes sense. But, still, Levi will be stuck behind Luukkonen and Lyon for the foreseeable future.
Perhaps this move makes Luukkonen more tradable. Buffalo has never been afraid to dangle rising stars, and with a legitimate three-man stable of goaltenders, it could look for even more prospects or draft picks.
