Once a breeding ground for the NHL, goaltenders from Quebec are now a rare phenomenon. But in Buffalo this fall, a 21-year-old Montrealer will be knocking on the Sabres’ locker room door.
After a brief, promising stint at the end of last year’s season, Devon Levi now dreams of settling permanently in Gilbert Perreault’s city.
He would follow in the footsteps of Marc-André Fleury (Minnesota Wild) and Samuel Montembeault (Montreal Canadian), La Belle Province’s only two regular goaltenders in 2022-2023.
“I’m so excited,” Levi said in a telephone interview with the Journal on Sunday. I played seven games with the Sabers at the end of the season last year and gained confidence. I really enjoyed this experience. I can’t wait for camp, I can’t wait to see the guys again and I can’t wait to get back on the ice.”
Levi, a modest 7th round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2020 and acquired from the Sabers in July 2021 in exchange for Sam Reinhart, lived up to expectations in his first steps in the NHL.
He made the straight jump from the Northeastern University Huskies to the Sabers last March, posting five wins in seven games while maintaining a 2.94 GAA and .905 save percentage.
“Since the end of the season I’ve had time to appreciate what we’ve just experienced,” he recalled calmly in impeccable French. I have achieved my dream. But it’s just the beginning. I want to write another chapter. I don’t just want to play in the NHL, I want to become a goalkeeper who establishes himself and becomes important in this league.
“I always believed in myself,” he continued. I knew I could play at the NHL level. I discovered the rhythm of the NHL. It’s a good thing for the mental side. I know the level better. But I don’t know what the reality of a full season looks like yet. I can’t wait to find out.”
An expected fight
Nothing is set in stone about the Sabres’ important goaltending position. Eric Comrie, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Levi will fight for two places in the next camp. Comrie (1.8 million) and Luukkonen (0.837 million) are on one-way contracts, but are not a permanent goalie like Igor Shesterkin or Jake Oettinger.
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When asked whether he would rather be in Buffalo or in Rochester in the American League at the start of the season, the Montrealer hides his intentions quite well.
“I’m just focused on the next stop, I have to stop the puck. I’ll do my best and not ask too many questions. I have to be the best version of myself. If I can do that, everything will sort itself out. I don’t decide where I play. The coaches and GM will make this decision based on my level of play.
An unforgettable moment
Of his seven appearances with the Sabres, Levi’s very first will always have a special place in his heart. He blocked 31 shots in a 3-2 overtime win against the Rangers at KeyBank Center.
Jeff Skinner, who scored the winning goal in that encounter on March 31, charged toward his young goalkeeper like the rest of his teammates.
“It was incredible,” he replied. The players were so happy for me. It was a good feeling. I will never forget him. I thought it was special to see all the guys coming towards me. The trainers were also happy. My family and friends also traveled to Buffalo. I can still see the scene when Skinner puts the puck into the net.
√ Kevin Mandolese, a 23-year-old from Laval, also played three games in the NHL last year, making his first appearance with the Ottawa Senators.
Levi: a small but not a disadvantage
Of the 107 goaltenders who blocked a puck in the NHL last year, only 13 were 6 feet tall or younger.
Devon Levi is part of a small group of nine guards who stop the tape measure exactly at 6 feet. There are four other masked men measuring 5’11”.
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If Levi had the typical stature of today’s guard giants, his fate would likely have met him long before the seventh round in the 2020 draft.
Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 172 pounds, the Montrealer had to contend with a very common prejudice, namely that of his height. But he never saw this reality as a disadvantage.
“I would say it helped me,” he explained. To be recognized, I had to play really good hockey. It pushed me to grow beyond myself and become the best version of myself. There are a lot of people who think that the bigger a goalie is, the more pucks he will stop. But it’s not just size. Mentalities are changing a little. There are good smaller goalkeepers. In Nashville, Juuse Saros is one of the NHL’s best.
“If I can make a younger goalkeeper dream, who is smaller, that makes me really happy. Technique, speed, flexibility and the will to win count more than size.”
Comes from a renovation
Levi, 6-foot-1, will be part of a young core of Sabers players looking to emerge from this perennial rebuild in Buffalo that has seen 12 consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance.
“For me it is a perfect marriage with the Sabres,” said the gold medalist at the World Championships in Tampere. [Finlande] and Riga [Lettonie] with the Canadian team as assistant to Samuel Montembeault. Before my debut in Buffalo, I already knew that I would be joining a young team with a mission to grow. There are several good young players. The Sabers want to win and improve now.”
On offense it’s Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, Alex Tuch, Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka. Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power are on the blue line. The only thing the Sabers are missing is a good goalie. And it could just be Levi.
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