BUFFALO – For years, Sabres goalie Devon Levi has been a workhouse, starting game after game.
At Northeastern, Levi played 89 percent of the Huskies’ games. After turning pro late in 2022-23, he started seven of the Sabres’ final eight contests and the first four last season before suffering an injury.
When Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen seized the No. 1 job late last fall, the Sabres assigned Levi to the Rochester Americans to play regularly, occasionally recalling him.
Three months ago, general manager Kevyn Adams said Luukkonen, 25, and Levi, 22, would serve as the Sabres’ goalies this season.
Luukkonen thrived under an intense workload throughout the second half last season, ranking among the NHL’s leaders as he played 35 of the final 41 games.
So, if the Sabres keep Levi in the NHL as Adams said – they also signed veteran goalie James Reimer – how will they use him? Surely, they don’t want him to watch, say, two out of three games as Luukkonen’s backup. He needs consistent action.
Would the Sabres yo-yo him between Buffalo and Rochester, finding him starts when they’re available?
What’s clear is Levi looks ready to begin his second full pro season. In Monday afternoon’s 6-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, his first preseason nod, he looked sharp, making 25 saves in KeyBank Center.
“It was great to be back into a game,” Levi said. “Just the competitiveness, just reading plays. You don’t really see that in summer skates. Even in scrimmages, it’s more or less like that. But you can’t replicate a real game.”
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Levi “made probably four or five really clutch saves for us that you need.”
“When your team isn’t playing well, he’s the guy that can change the momentum, and I thought he gave us a couple of those saves at key times that allowed us to get in a position to start taking it back to them,” he said.
Even if Levi serves as the backup, his presence means something. He pushes Luukkonen. When Levi arrived a year and a half ago, Luukkonen said he realized he needed to up his game.
“I feel I have two goaltenders that are extremely dialed in,” Ruff said.
Yes, the goalies are competing for the same crease. Still, they get along well with each other.
“We both want to play as much as we can,” Luukkonen said. “… It’s obvious and everyone knows it. But it doesn’t mean that you have to kind of not like the other guy.”
Levi said Luukkonen’s “an awesome dude.”
“We get along really well,” he said. “We talk about hockey, we talk about anything else other than hockey. It’s just a great goalie tandem, great relationship with him. He’s a great goalie, too.”
Levi said hearing Adams wants to keep him in the NHL doesn’t change anything for him.
“That decision is up to them,” he said. “Regardless of their decision, I’m making sure I’m at my best every day, so when my name’s called upon, I give my team the best chance. So that’s just my focus, focus on me, and let them take care of that.”
The B squad will play its first game tonight on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Ruff said Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, out since suffering what he called a “mid-body injury” Wednesday, will likely practice today in a non-contact role.
“But he’s doing really good,” he said. “He’s itching to get back in. For us, it’s making sure that when we put him back in or get him back in a practice, that he’s ready to roll. But he’s real close to playing.”
Forwards Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Zach Benson, Dylan Cozens, Peyton Krebs and defensemen Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson scored for the Sabres, who dressed a regular-season lineup for the second straight game. On Saturday, they throttled the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-3.
The Sabres leave tonight for Germany, where they play an exhibition game Thursday against Red Bull Munich. The open the regular season Oct. 4 and 5 versus the New Jersey Devils in Prague, Czechia.
With just two preseason games before going overseas, the Sabres wanted to get their regulars early action.
The AHL and junior players left on the training camp roster will stay in Buffalo and complete the preseason schedule.
Dahlin has been skating on his own.
Notes: Prior to the game, the Sabres played an NHL-produced tribute video and held a 13-second moment of silence to honor late Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, both of whom were killed by a suspected drunk driver Aug. 29 while they rode their bicycles. Johnny Gaudreau wore No. 13. … Sabres newcomers Dennis Gilbert, Ryan McLeod and Jason Zucker all made their preseason debuts. … Wingers JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn each registered two assists. … The Sabres announced a crowd of 9,924 fans. With the Bills playing on “Monday Night Football,” perhaps fewer than 3,000 showed up.
