Levi to report to Buffalo, spend remainder of season with Sabres

PHILADELPHIA -Devon Levi will report to Buffalo and spend the remainder of this season with the Sabres, general manager Kevyn Adams announced.
The Sabres signed Levi to a three-year, entry-level contract on Friday afternoon, concluding one of the most prolific careers by a goaltender in NCAA history. Levi led the nation in save percentage in each of his two full seasons with Northeastern University.
"We thought it was really important to have Devon integrate right away with our team," Adams said. "I want to make sure that we get him comfortable. Obviously, he's going to go through the immigration and then once he gets [to Buffalo] get into practices, start to feel part of the team and with the guys."

Adams did not rule out the possibility of Levi playing for the Sabres this season but stressed that the first priority will be for the 21-year-old to get acclimated to his new surroundings. The Sabres have 14 games remaining after their road contest against the Flyers on Saturday.
"You want to set players up for success," Adams said. "You want to put them in a situation you believe they can thrive. So, we're open to it, and we'll go day by day."

The window for the Sabres to sign Levi began late last Saturday, after Northeastern's overtime loss to Providence in the Hockey East Tournament. The foundation for the partnership was laid much earlier.
The Sabres acquired Levi - at that point a seventh-round pick who had recently raised eyebrows with his dominant performance for Canada at the World Junior Championship - along with a first-round pick in the trade that sent Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers in July 2021.
The organization quickly went to work developing a relationship with Levi, spearheaded by goalie development coach Seamus Kotyk and director of player development Adam Mair. Both attended games at Northeastern, as did associate general manager Jason Karmanos and Adams himself.
The Sabres invited Levi to attend a morning skate when the team was in Boston last May. They were able to provide a firsthand glimpse into the organization when Levi attended his first development camp in July. Levi spoke to reporters that week about his belief in the Sabres' direction.
"I know that was a big takeaway for Devon," Adams said. "Like, 'This feels like something I want to be part of and something special.'"
Adams trusted that foundation over the past week. He made it a point to give Levi time to digest the end of his season, which fell short of the NCAA tournament. Levi could have returned for one last push as a senior, after which he would have been allowed to explore unrestricted free agency.
"At the end of the day, what you do fall back to is the trust and the relationship we built, the honesty that we built," Adams said. "That's my style. I like to get to know our players, our prospects, just to let them know that we're going to have the relationship."
The Sabres eventually held a Zoom call with Levi and his family, during which they reiterated their vision for the organization and Levi's place in it. Levi, true to his thoughtful reputation, took time to absorb the information before signing his deal on Friday.
"It took a few days to kind of go through the process," Adams said. "Obviously, we got to where we got to today, so that's great news."
Levi has remained patient and methodical regarding his development since a young age. He forwent the start of his junior career to play a third season of U18 AAA, an experience that influenced his decision to return to Northeastern this past season.
Levi had dominated his first year playing with the Huskies, leading the NCAA with a .952 save percentage and winning the Mike Richter Award as the top goaltender in the country. The idea of returning to school and having to live up to those expectations appealed to him.
"It's an additional challenge that you're going to face at the pro level for sure," Levi said last summer. "You play so many seasons and coming off a good season, how are you going to do it again? That's the question. A lot of people have a hard time with that."
Levi led the NCAA in save percentage once again as an encore, this time at .933. He is one of three finalists for the Richter Award and one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in the country.

"I think there's a maturity … that Devon has that's very rare with young players," Adams said. "He's very self-aware, he's very motivated, he's very curious, and he's passionate about the game. Those are all the things we look for in players."
Levi begins his career in Buffalo at a time when the Sabres are pushing to gain ground in the Wild Card race. It's the first playoff push for most of the players who comprise the NHL's youngest roster, several of whom Levi will aim to play alongside for years to come.
The upcoming weeks will offer an opportunity for Levi to become acquainted with those teammates. He'll also have a chance to learn from an accomplished veteran in Craig Anderson, whose 318 wins rank 32nd in NHL history.
"We just thought for his development, where we are right now, this was a critical time for him to learn and grow with us and that's why he's coming right now," Adams said.