Buffalo Sabres Lock-In Top NCAA Netminder With 3-Year Deal

After leading the NCAA in save percentage for the past two seasons, 21-year-old Buffalo Sabres goaltending prospect Devon Levi has finally made the plunge, signing a three-year, entry-level deal with the NHL team.

IT’S OFFICIAL 🙌

We have signed goaltender Devon Levi to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Details: https://t.co/22Xft5qeGB#LetsGoBuffalo | @DevonLevi33 pic.twitter.com/HENZ722heq

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 17, 2023

Per @PuckPedia, the deal contains a cap Hit of $925K, and an AAV of $1.57M. 

Levi just completed his junior season at Northeastern this past week. He had an NCAA-best .933 save percentage this season with a 2.24 GAA, following up on an even more successful sophomore year in which he posted the second-best save percentage in NCAA history at .952. He also holds the school's all-time goals-against mark of 1.90 as well as the shutouts record with 16. 

For the second straight year, he's a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. 

Levi has also excelled on the international level, taking home the top goaltender honors at the 2021 World Junior Championship for his stellar performance, recording an incredible .964 SV% in seven games for Canada. 

Levi was acquired by the Sabres in a trade with the Florida Panthers in the summer of '21. 

He'll immediately get himself a taste of NHL life, joining the Sabres for the rest of the season.

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams confirmed Devon Levi will be on the NHL roster for the rest of the season.

They want to get Levi acclimated. Plan to take it day-by-day and get him into practices. Not ruling out that Levi will get games.

— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) March 17, 2023

Whether he gets into any games or not is still undecided.  GM Kevyn Adams said: "We'll kind of take it day by day, but 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 in."

Photo: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports