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The Buffalo Sabres got their last significant piece of business finished up on Thursday, signing restricted free agent goaltender Devon Levi to a two-year contract extension worth $1.625 million. It has an average annual value of $812,500.
The 23-year-old spent most of the 2024-25 campaign with the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League. He was excellent for the team, going 25-13-4 and adding a sparkling 2.20 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in that span. He also led the AHL with seven shutouts.
That success did not translate to the National Hockey League level, though, as the netminder struggled to a 2-7 record along with a 4.12 GAA and .872 save percentage over eight starts in Western New York.
It's expected that Levi will begin the 2025-26 season in Rochester, as Buffalo has Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen signed for four more seasons, along with free agent acquisition Alex Lyon for the next two years.
Levi was selected by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round, No. 212 overall, in the 2020 NHL Draft. He was traded from Sunrise to New York in the deal that sent two-time Stanley Cup champion Sam Reinart to the Panthers in July of 2021.
Overall, Levi has gone 17-17-2 in his NHL career, adding a 3.29 GAA and .894 save percentage in 39 appearances.
Sabres now have everyone signed for 2025-26
With Levi signed — and likely to report to Rochester once training camp begins in September — the team looks solidified for the 2025-26 season. Buffalo has 13 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders under contract, per PuckPedia.
It's been a miserable decade-and-a-half for the club; the Sabres are tied with the NFL's New York Jets for the longest postseason-less streak in North American professional sports. Buffalo hasn't advanced to the dance since 2010-11, when they were beaten in the first round by the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games.
Despite selecting first overall three times — and drafting Jack Eichel, Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power — the Sabres have been unable to get over the hump in the Eastern Conference.
And it could be another tough season for the franchise, as Dylan Cozens was traded to the Ottawa Senators last season, with JJ Peterka heading to the Utah Mammoth this summer.
While the blue line looks solid, with Dahlin, Power and Bowen Byram leading the charge, along with offseason additions Conor Timmins and Michael Kesselring, the offensive leaves quite a bit to be desired.
The goaltending is also a question mark; the team posted the 30th worst save percentage in 2024-25, along with the 29th worst goals-against average.
That is going to need to change if the franchise hopes to compete for a postseason slot in a gauntlet of an Atlantic Division in 2025-26. It'll be interesting to see if the roster can stay competitive right until the end, or if it'll be yet another lost season in Western New York.
