Buffalo Sabres sign goalie Devon Levi to two-year contract
The Sabres announced Thursday morning that goalie Devon Levi has signed a two-year contract with the team, with an average annual value of $812,500.
The Buffalo Sabres have signed their final restricted free agent, and it will stabilize their organizational goaltending depth.
The Sabres announced Thursday that goalie Devon Levi has signed a two-year contract with the team, with an average annual value of $812,500.
According to Puckpedia.com, Levi will earn a salary of $775,000 in the first year of the contract, and $850,000 in the second year of the deal. He also will be exempt from waivers for the 2025-26 season, or until he reaches the 60-game threshold in the NHL. Levi has played 39 NHL games over the last three seasons, including nine in 2024-25.
The Sabres announced Thursday they have signed Devon Levi to a two-year contract.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
The Sabres extended a qualifying offer to Levi, who was a restricted free agent, at the end of June. The Sabres on Thursday did not state if Levi’s contract was a one-way contract or a two-way contract, but a source close to contract negotiations confirmed Levi’s contract is a one-way deal for both years. The source could not go on the record because the information was not released by the team.
Levi, 23, is part of a position group that includes Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who played the bulk of the Sabres’ games in goal last season, and Alex Lyon, whom the Sabres signed as a free agent in July and enters his 10th professional season.
The Sabres have stockpiled their goaltending in the farm system with Topias Leinonen, Scott Ratzlaff, Ryerson Leenders and two goalies they drafted in June, fourth-round pick Samuel Meloche and seventh-round pick Yevgeni Prokhorov.
Signing Levi is a move to continue to develop him under the Sabres’ umbrella, and a safeguard if Luukkonen and/or Lyon falter. Expect Levi to get as many games as he can with Rochester of the American Hockey League this season, which will be his fourth in the Sabres’ organization, unless the Sabres lose a goalie to injury or illness or can’t develop consistency at the position.
Levi primarily played for Rochester last season. He was 25-13-4 (third in the AHL in wins) with a 2.20 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage and seven shutouts.
Seamus Kotyk, the Sabres’ goaltending development coach, told The Buffalo News during development camp in July at LECOM Harborcenter that Levi welcomed and maximized the AHL experience.
“He took a lot of steps with improving just the workload, the volume of the games, consistency,” Kotyk said. “This year versus last year, throughout the regular season, he was more consistent at the level and just kind of probably more subtle things you don’t see when it comes to the rink.”
Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said prior to the NHL draft in June that Levi’s timeline “is up to him.”
“He’s got some more experience under his belt that, when he’s ready to take a step, he will, and we’ll be ready for that,” Adams said. “Do I have a problem if (Luukkonen and Levi) are our two goalies opening night? Absolutely not.
“But I’m also going to make sure that we’re smart in how we do things and put our team in the best position.”
Acquired from the Florida Panthers in July 2021 as part of a trade for Sam Reinhart, Levi is 17-17-2 with a 3.29 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage in 39 NHL games, including 36 starts, all with the Sabres. Levi was 2-7 with a 4.12 goals-against average and a .872 save percentage in nine games with the Sabres last season.
The Sabres open training camp in mid-September, then begin the regular season Oct. 9 against the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center.