3 Trade Destinations for Sabres' Devon Levi

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 , , ,
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi faces shot during 2024 game.

Devon Levi was the prized piece the Buffalo Sabres received when they traded Sam Reinhart to Florida in 2021. 

He was the goaltending prospect who was supposed to anchor the franchise's future between the pipes for the next decade.

That plan has changed.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported the Sabres are now shopping Levi, and Jeff Marek went further on Coming In Hot, stating that the relationship between the organization and their former top goalie prospect is effectively over.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has become the legitimate franchise goaltender Buffalo spent years hoping he would be, signed long-term through 2028-29 and played the best hockey of his career during the Sabres' run to the second round of the playoffs this spring.

Alex Lyon has been reliable in a complementary role, and Colten Ellis emerged on the depth chart ahead of Levi.

With three goalies already occupying big roles in the organization and Levi entering the final year of a two-year, $812,500 per season deal, there is simply no path to NHL playing time in Buffalo and no organizational incentive to wait any longer before converting him into roster help.

His value will only drop next season when he becomes waiver-eligible, making this summer the correct window to move him.

The Levi Resume

Levi went 64-39-22 in 120 AHL games with a .914 save percentage, a 2.52 goals-against average, and 10 shutouts across his time in Rochester.

In 39 NHL games he carries a 17-17-2 record with a .894 save percentage and a 3.29 goals-against average, numbers that reflect inconsistency but not inability.

The 24-year-old was a seventh-round pick who has dramatically outperformed his draft slot, and his AHL track record suggests a legitimate NHL backup or tandem starter at minimum if placed in the right environment.

At his current $812,500 cap hit and with a pending RFA status after this season, acquiring him is one of the more cost-effective goaltending moves available on the market.

Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton is the team most obviously in need of exactly what Levi offers, and the connection has been discussed since at least the trade deadline.

Tristan Jarry has struggled since being acquired from Pittsburgh, and Connor Ingram is an unrestricted free agent this summer who will almost certainly not be back.

Stan Bowman already contacted Detroit asking about Trey Augustine before the Red Wings shut that conversation down, and has publicly acknowledged the goaltending situation requires attention.

Levi gives the Oilers a young goalie with solid AHL credentials and upside to develop as the backup or eventual replacement.

Buffalo's asking price would be modest given the competitive nature of the goaltender market and Levi's current value, which makes this a deal the Oilers should be able to make without surrendering significant assets.

Ottawa Senators

Marek specifically named Ottawa as a team that has already reached out to Buffalo about Levi during the season, hoping he could fill a backup role behind Linus Ullmark.

The Senators were swept by Carolina in the second round and Steve Staios has already confirmed his intention to search for a reliable backup this summer with James Reimer not expected back. 

Levi, as a backup and developmental option behind Ullmark at $812,500, is one of the most cap-efficient goaltending solutions available anywhere on the market.

The intradivisional nature of the deal is a modest obstacle, but precedent exists, as the Sabres and Senators completed the Norris-Cozens swap last summer under the previous GM regime.

Whether Jarmo Kekalainen is as willing to deal within the division as Kevyn Adams was is the question Ottawa needs to answer before the conversation goes further.

Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia swept the Penguins and pushed the Hurricanes to overtime twice before being eliminated in four games, establishing themselves as a legitimate upcoming playoff force.

Dan Vladar was outstanding, but Samuel Ersson's .870 save percentage in 33 appearances made the backup situation one of the Flyers' most obvious offseason needs.

Levi as Vladar's backup on a cost-controlled deal gives Danny Briere exactly the profile he needs: a young goalie with upside, affordable cap hit, and NHL-ready credentials who can grow with a clear NHL playing future in mind rather than stagnating in Rochester.

Photo Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

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