Prospect Info: Devon Levi, G, Northeastern University (obtained in Reinhart deal) -Recalled from Roch Jan. 18th, 2025

[Tijuana Donkey Show]

I am very strongly in the camp of Levi needs to start in the AHL next year…but Levi is going to f*** that up by playing awesome down the stretch isn’t he?

It’s absolutely good practice generally, no debate. But maybe this guy’s a legitimate exception

I'm starting to think G2 Levi is possible in 23-24...

I agree, I’d like to develop him “properly”, but he’s going to make that real tough.

The real tough part is going to be getting another legitimate G1 in house. We’ll need somebody to spell Levi for stretches as he learns to get up to speed of the 82 game season.

What legitimate G1 wants to come knowing they may never play the majority of games.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Sad reality -- he's G1 unless KA trades big assets for someone better. He won't be G2 behind Comrie or UPL.

I think you start the season with UPL as #1, but when Levi is outperforming him 10 games in you swap their spots.

 

[RecycledEichel]

This will be quite the thread this offseason

 

[aqsw]

I think you start Levi g1 at 66% and Comrie G2 at 33%

Upl in the minors to get the games. You have a better tandem and probably make the playoffs. 24-25 you have your G1 Levi and G2 UPL for years to come.

JMO

 

[dortt]

I think you start Levi g1 at 66% and Comrie G2 at 33%

Upl in the minors to get the games. You have a better tandem and probably make the playoffs. 24-25 you have your G1 Levi and G2 UPL for years to come.

JMO

You lose UPL to waivers in this scenario

 

[jcbeze]

I think you start Levi g1 at 66% and Comrie G2 at 33%

Upl in the minors to get the games. You have a better tandem and probably make the playoffs. 24-25 you have your G1 Levi and G2 UPL for years to come.

JMO

UPL won't make it to the minors



how does anyone not understand this? Unless you think he doesn't need to go through waivers? If that's the reason......he does need to go through waivers

 

[aqsw]

I thought he was waiver exempt?

 

[Gras]

I think you start Levi g1 at 66% and Comrie G2 at 33%

Upl in the minors to get the games. You have a better tandem and probably make the playoffs. 24-25 you have your G1 Levi and G2 UPL for years to come.

JMO

Levi will burnout with that workload this early

 

[aqsw]

As a Jet fan that has always had Buf as my #2. I
guess you guys are in a pickle, but a good one.

 

[aqsw]

Burnout at 50 games? He plays 35 now and ncaa games are mostly weekends. He's fine with a little training.

 

[thomas vanek]

With all due respect to the old school thinkers who say he needs to spend a year or more in Rochester...

A) no, he doesn't
B) it's not happening
C) he will give them a better chance to win than anybody they can sign in free agency or *realistically* trade for

 

[Ace]

You lose UPL to waivers in this scenario

 

[dortt]

Burnout at 50 games? He plays 35 now and ncaa games are mostly weekends. He's fine with a little training.

50-55 games would be ideal for transitioning into an NHL starter

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Lol, that’s just mean.

Much as I think UPL doesn’t have it- eh, goalies are weird, don’t wanna lose him for nothing.

Comrie can go- good guy, maybe he becomes somethin somewhere else himself, but I feel like the chances are lower in his case. I assume he’d have to go through waivers as well?

 

[Jim Bob]

Halfway through they talk a lot about Levi.

I love Woody and the “One of us! One of us!” chant about Levi being a goalie geek.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Bendium]

With all due respect to the old school thinkers who say he needs to spend a year or more in Rochester...

A) no, he doesn't
B) it's not happening
C) he will give them a better chance to win than anybody they can sign in free agency or *realistically* trade for

It will be curious to see what Levi himself wants to do. If history holds, he may very well WANT to play a year in the AHL, having it be HIS team, starting almost every game, and trying to win a Calder Cup. He has talked before about not being in a hurry to skip the process.

Also, once he gets done with this season and has 4-6 NHL games to review, he may very well have a long list of things he wants to work on before taking the NHL crease fulltime. For example, his rebound control has not been great. Noone has the book on him yet, but teams will start playing for those freebee open net rebounds.

Its exciting, and he looks like hes got it. So lets not Buffalo it.

 

[Ralonzo]

“Ninety percent of the game is half mental.”

Everybody is going to see the Sabres nowadays because there's so many empty seats.

 

[Jim Bob]

I thought he was waiver exempt?

He was this season. He won't be next season.

 

[Bendium]

I thought he was waiver exempt?

He is this year. He signed his ELC at age 19 so he had 5 years of waiver eligibility. That ends this year so next year he has to pass thru waivers.

 

[TehDoak]

I think you start Levi g1 at 66% and Comrie G2 at 33%

Upl in the minors to get the games. You have a better tandem and probably make the playoffs. 24-25 you have your G1 Levi and G2 UPL for years to come.

JMO

Levi should be in the minors next year barring injury

UPL won't make it to the minors



how does anyone not understand this? Unless you think he doesn't need to go through waivers? If that's the reason......he does need to go through waivers

UPL is the kindof tweener goalie that goes through waivers and only gets claimed if someone has a goalie injury.

Why would you want an inconsistent developmental goalie as your backup?

It's rare for teams to carry 3 goalies.

I think UPL gets moved to a team like Chicago this summer who has no real goals next season and can take a low risk goalie on.

 

[debaser66]

I tend to agree with you. While I think there's a remote chance that Levi is built differently than most.......it certainly feels like we're rushing things.

I don't think playing him now in as many games could have any negative impact; throwing him in next season is a totally different story

 

[ValJamesDuex]

 

[BuffaloGooner]

I think I’ve come around to Levi getting NHL games only if you can snag a proven 1A to play with him.

Every goalie brought into the league early has struggled except Carey Price, MAF, and Steve Mason in 2000

The common denominator of teams that have a struggling young goalie is the fact that they have nothing behind or in front of him to carry the load.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

This will be quite the thread this offseason

It's not offseason yet