Devon Levi reveals he has something with the Oilers that the Sabres never gave him

Devon Levi arrives in Edmonton with a runway the Buffalo Sabres were never able to clear for him.

The 24-year-old from Dollard-des-Ormeaux has made no secret of how fired up he is about the change of scenery.

That energy is real, but it is not why this time is different.

Levi leaves Buffalo with 39 NHL appearances, a 17-17-2 record and an .894 save percentage. Those numbers read like a stalled prospect, which is only half the story.

Twice, Levi lost NHL playing time to goalies the Sabres pulled off the waiver wire rather than to anyone who beat him out. In 2023 Buffalo reacquired James Reimer off the waiver wire and sent Levi to Rochester to play.

Before last season the Sabres claimed Colten Ellis off waivers from the St. Louis Blues, and Ellis posted a .903 save percentage in 16 games. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon were already ahead of him.

A crowded crease that works has no reason to open. Levi spent the year in Rochester going 23-20-9 with a 2.83 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.

Levi is no longer waiver exempt as of 2026-27, which is why Buffalo moved him for a 2028 third-round pick on July 1. Edmonton cannot send him to Bakersfield without exposing him to every other team.

That makes his roster spot close to guaranteed under Mike Babcock, who is expected to rotate three goaltenders. Frederik Andersen signed for one year at $1 million and Tristan Jarry carries $5.375 million through 2027-28.

Levi's $812,500 cap hit expires next summer, when he becomes a restricted free agent Stan Bowman still controls. The fresh start Buffalo could not give him is not about belief.

It is a depth chart he cannot be quietly removed from.

For the first time in his career, the paperwork is on his side.

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