The New Devon Levi 2023 Thread

[K-9]

52 minutes ago, Curt said:

UPL had a big double hip surgery that it took him some time to come back from, but it was 4 years ago now.

Ullmark also underwent double hip surgery in 2015. Ironic.

[erickompositör72]

Sorry to interrupt this Devon Levi thread with Devon Levi questions!

 

 

When might we see Devon in a Sabres jersey?

Is there a chance he is a flight risk? Approximately how likely? When do we assume he'll sign?

If he signs, what is the likelihood he'll be starting in Rochester next season?

[Turbo44]

1. Maybe a game at the end of the season if we’re out of the playoff hunt. Full time - 2025/2026 season

2. not really, 5%? He has a clear path to a #1 NHL goalie role on an up and coming young team. To sign elsewhere he’d have to play another year at NE and sign elsewhere in August 24. That’s throwing away a lot of time and $$

3. 100% - he’ll likely be the #1 goalie there for 2 years, like Ryan Miller did

[Flashsabre]

NCCA All-Time Career SV% Leaders

1. Connor Hellebuyck - .946
2. 𝘿𝙀𝙑𝙊𝙉 𝙇𝙀𝙑𝙄 - .943
3. Ryan Miller - .941

Could he have the record by the end of the season? If his trajectory trends the same as those other two guys then the Sabres are golden.😀

[French Collection]

9 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

NCCA All-Time Career SV% Leaders

1. Connor Hellebuyck - .946
2. 𝘿𝙀𝙑𝙊𝙉 𝙇𝙀𝙑𝙄 - .943
3. Ryan Miller - .941

Could he have the record by the end of the season? If his trajectory trends the same as those other two guys then the Sabres are golden.😀

Wow, that is pretty good company. The more I see from him the more I want to see him play. Twitter highlights are fine but they just tease me. I want to sit and watch this guy play 60 minutes in Blue and Gold.

I know we overvalue our own prospects but this guy has me excited. He may be the future in net.

[shrader]

2 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

It’s crazy that Levi is sitting at a 2.24 gaa and a .933 sv% and both numbers are way off last year. He is really getting back into last year’s zone and Northeastern are rising in the rankings. 

Does winning the BeanPot get them into the tournament? I think they get in at this point with the run Levi is on anyway.

Man if things trend the way they are then the Reinhart for Levi and Kulich Trade will look very good for Buffalo.

They are currently in a 3 way tie for the last 2 spots in the field… still a lot of work left for them

[dudacek]

Just so I'm clear, as much as i love Devon Levi, I do not expect him to step in and own the crease from day 1. He almost ceertainly will have to pay some dues.

But....😁

Isn't the table set kinda perfectly for him getting a shot after signing, taking the crease in a way the three-headed monster has not, and riding a wave all the way into the playoffs?

If hacks like Steve Penney, Andrew Hammond and Patrick Lalime can catch lightning in a bottle, why not our best prospect since Ryan Miller?

Edited February 24, 2023 by dudacek

[PromoTheRobot]

Considering today's news on Spencer Knight, I bet Florida whishes they still had Levi.

[Taro T]

25 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Just so I'm clear, as much as i love Devon Levi, I do not expect him to step in and own the crease from day 1. He almost ceertainly will have to pay some dues.

But....😁

Isn't the table set kinda perfectly for him getting a shot after signing, taking the crease in a way the three-headed monster has not, and riding a wave all the way into the playoffs?

If hacks like Steve Penney, Andrew Hammond and Patrick Lalime can catch lightning in a bottle, why not our best prospect since Ryan Miller?

He very well could be the goalie to lead them into and in the playoffs.  And then he might find himself in Ra-Cha-Cha to start next season.

REALLY looking forward to what he does when he shows up.  Because unless UPL gets his magic winning touch back or Comrie finally gets both an opportunity to make the creaase his own AND actually seizes that opportunity, the crease is ready to be taken by ANYONE.  That post college adrenaline rush could make him and Johnson both unlikely major contributors down the stretch.

[dudacek]

31 minutes ago, Taro T said:

He very well could be the goalie to lead them into and in the playoffs.  And then he might find himself in Ra-Cha-Cha to start next season.

REALLY looking forward to what he does when he shows up.  Because unless UPL gets his magic winning touch back or Comrie finally gets both an opportunity to make the creaase his own AND actually seizes that opportunity, the crease is ready to be taken by ANYONE.  That post college adrenaline rush could make him and Johnson both unlikely major contributors down the stretch.

This.

As sporadic as the Sabres can be defensively, I've seen Robin Lehner and Linus Ullmark make more saves behind much worse teams.

They've all had their moments, but none of them have made a difference at enough times in enough games.

[Billssabres33]

14 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Considering today's news on Spencer Knight, I bet Florida whishes they still had Levi.

I was going to point this out as well…sad for knight and his family. I wonder how much the panthers knew of this situation they traded Devon

[LGR4GM]

On 2/20/2023 at 8:49 PM, erickompositör72 said:

Sorry to interrupt this Devon Levi thread with Devon Levi questions!

 

 

When might we see Devon in a Sabres jersey?

Is there a chance he is a flight risk? Approximately how likely? When do we assume he'll sign?

If he signs, what is the likelihood he'll be starting in Rochester next season?

You might see him for 1-2 game this year. If not, next season he'll get starts at some point. 

Not really. Low chance he stays in college and he probably signs next month. 

He'll be the starter in Rochester within a week of signing is my prediction. 

[MBD]

5 hours ago, Billssabres33 said:

I was going to point this out as well…sad for knight and his family. I wonder how much the panthers knew of this situation they traded Devon

It probably happened after he was traded (not saying because of it).  He looked like a prospect on the rise, albeit after playing just 4 games in 2020-2021.  Got a more extensive look in 2021-2022 and didn't cut it so he got sent down to the AHL,where he's not dominating.  That can be pretty hard on the ego.

Edited February 25, 2023 by MBD

[French Collection]

Levi and NU lost 3-2 to UMass yesterday.

They rebounded with a 4-0 win tonight. 32 saves for Levi’s shutout.

[North Buffalo]

5 minutes ago, French Collection said:

Levi and NU lost 3-2 to UMass yesterday.

They rebounded with a 4-0 win tonight. 32 saves for Levi’s shutout.

And UMass is meh this season...

[Richard Noggin]

13 hours ago, MBD said:

It probably happened after he was traded (not saying because of it).  He looked like a prospect on the rise, albeit after playing just 4 games in 2020-2021.  Got a more extensive look in 2021-2022 and didn't cut it so he got sent down to the AHL,where he's not dominating.  That can be pretty hard on the ego.

Is there any concrete reporting on what the player is wrestling with? I don't feel entitled to such information, but oftentimes we hear things nonetheless.

[tom webster]

On 2/24/2023 at 4:10 PM, Taro T said:

He very well could be the goalie to lead them into and in the playoffs.  And then he might find himself in Ra-Cha-Cha to start next season.

REALLY looking forward to what he does when he shows up.  Because unless UPL gets his magic winning touch back or Comrie finally gets both an opportunity to make the creaase his own AND actually seizes that opportunity, the crease is ready to be taken by ANYONE.  That post college adrenaline rush could make him and Johnson both unlikely major contributors down the stretch.

Maybe he can pull a Ken Dryden and win a Conn Smythe before a Calder.

We both know, however, the odds of him coming in and setting the hockey world on fire are slim to none. Even the mentally, razor focused Ryan Miller had a crisis of confidence when his first turn as a starter didn’t go as planned. 

[nfreeman]

Once upon a time in Buffalo, the Sabres drafted a young man named Tom Barrasso #5 overall (in 1983).  There was no junior hockey or NCAA for Tommy B.  He seized the starting job as an 18-year-old rookie and won the Calder and the Vezina.

Barrasso was the Sabres’ starter for 5 seasons, after which they stupidly traded him to Pittsburgh to make room for Darren Puppa.  Barrasso played 11 seasons with Mario Lemieux in Pittsburgh, winning 2 cups. 

[tom webster]

5 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Once upon a time in Buffalo, the Sabres drafted a young man named Tom Barrasso #5 overall (in 1983).  There was no junior hockey or NCAA for Tommy B.  He seized the starting job as an 18-year-old rookie and won the Calder and the Vezina.

Barrasso was the Sabres’ starter for 5 seasons, after which they stupidly traded him to Pittsburgh to make room for Darren Puppa.  Barrasso played 11 seasons with Mario Lemieux in Pittsburgh, winning 2 cups. 

One can only hope that Levi has the same early success. 

[Eleven]

9 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

in 1983

Tread carefully...

[Archie Lee]

25 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Once upon a time in Buffalo, the Sabres drafted a young man named Tom Barrasso #5 overall (in 1983).  There was no junior hockey or NCAA for Tommy B.  He seized the starting job as an 18-year-old rookie and won the Calder and the Vezina.

Barrasso was the Sabres’ starter for 5 seasons, after which they stupidly traded him to Pittsburgh to make room for Darren Puppa.  Barrasso played 11 seasons with Mario Lemieux in Pittsburgh, winning 2 cups. 

I've often thought, in hindsight, that we would have been better to trade Puppa for Lemieux.  🙂

[MBD]

8 hours ago, Richard Noggin said:

Is there any concrete reporting on what the player is wrestling with? I don't feel entitled to such information, but oftentimes we hear things nonetheless.

No clue what it is exactly but figuring substance abuse or mental health problems since that's what the assistance program is for.

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, tom webster said:

Maybe he can pull a Ken Dryden and win a Conn Smythe before a Calder.

We both know, however, the odds of him coming in and setting the hockey world on fire are slim to none. Even the mentally, razor focused Ryan Miller had a crisis of confidence when his first turn as a starter didn’t go as planned. 

Yes, the odds of the most likely scenario are that Levi's time in Buffalo this year is watching from the pressbox with 1 game on the bench as the backup as  UPL gets the bulk of the games.  But, Levi has played against NHLers since his midteens and has been getting a mediocre team playing well above its actual skill level for a year and a half.  He has exceeded expectations at every level he's played.  Expect there's a reasonable chance for Levi to go off script with his opportunity.

Yes, Miller was and is extremely thoughtful and cerebral, but he also has had a psychiatrist as one of his key advisors for many years.  His overthinking and getting overwhelmed upon his initial foray into the NHL really isn't instructive here IMHO.  Would really be interested in knowing how his 1st shot would've gone had it not been against his childhood favorite Red Wings.  That was just too overwhelming for him.  Maybe not having the storybook setting might have been something he would've been up to the challenge of.  (Or at a minimum, maybe he wouldn't have been in tears in the postgame interview.)

[tom webster]

7 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Yes, the odds of the most likely scenario are that Levi's time in Buffalo this year is watching from the pressbox with 1 game on the bench as the backup as  UPL gets the bulk of the games.  But, Levi has played against NHLers since his midteens and has been getting a mediocre team playing well above its actual skill level for a year and a half.  He has exceeded expectations at every level he's played.  Expect there's a reasonable chance for Levi to go off script with his opportunity.

Yes, Miller was and is extremely thoughtful and cerebral, but he also has had a psychiatrist as one of his key advisors for many years.  His overthinking and getting overwhelmed upon his initial foray into the NHL really isn't instructive here IMHO.  Would really be interested in knowing how his 1st shot would've gone had it not been against his childhood favorite Red Wings.  That was just too overwhelming for him.  Maybe not having the storybook setting might have been something he would've been up to the challenge of.  (Or at a minimum, maybe he wouldn't have been in tears in the postgame interview.)

Yes, I agree with this. I was just trying to state best, and worst case parameters.

[JohnC]

3 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Yes, the odds of the most likely scenario are that Levi's time in Buffalo this year is watching from the pressbox with 1 game on the bench as the backup as  UPL gets the bulk of the games.  But, Levi has played against NHLers since his midteens and has been getting a mediocre team playing well above its actual skill level for a year and a half.  He has exceeded expectations at every level he's played.  Expect there's a reasonable chance for Levi to go off script with his opportunity.

Yes, Miller was and is extremely thoughtful and cerebral, but he also has had a psychiatrist as one of his key advisors for many years.  His overthinking and getting overwhelmed upon his initial foray into the NHL really isn't instructive here IMHO.  Would really be interested in knowing how his 1st shot would've gone had it not been against his childhood favorite Red Wings.  That was just too overwhelming for him.  Maybe not having the storybook setting might have been something he would've been up to the challenge of.  (Or at a minimum, maybe he wouldn't have been in tears in the postgame interview.)

You make a keen observation about Miller not only as a player but also as a person. He is thoughtful and cerebral to an extreme point. He's the type of guy that when interviewing you have to be careful with your words because he is going to thoroughly parse your words and cogitate before rendering a response. If you are looking for a post-game robotic cliche riddled comments at the podium, you don't want him to be standing at the podium. He's a unique and thoughtful fellow. If you are in a hurry he will drive you crazy.