As Sam Reinhart emerges as a go-to player for the first-place Florida Panthers, the prospect the Buffalo Sabres acquired in the July trade has established himself as one of the top goaltenders in the NCAA.
Devon Levi, a 19-year-old who became a Canadian hero with his record-setting performance at the IIHF World Junior Championship last January, reached another milestone over the weekend as a sophomore at Northeastern University.
Levi recorded a school-record sixth shutout of the season Friday night against Providence College and finished the back-to-back series with 71 saves on 72 shots. He’s 5-0-1 over his last six starts and, among goalies with at least 16 games played, sits atop the NCAA in two prominent statistics: goals-against average (1.32) and save percentage (.953). Levi has a 13-4-1 record for a Northeastern team that took over first place in the Hockey East ahead of a one-month break. His shutout streak of 121:25 to start his college career is also a program record.
People are also reading…
A seventh-round draft choice in 2020, Levi makes spectacular saves look easy and pairs athleticism in net with pinpoint technique.
“Devon right now is in a zone,” said Northeastern coach Jerry Keefe. “He was strong in there. He’s been awesome for us all year."
The Sabres took a calculated gamble by acquiring Levi in a franchise-changing trade that also fetched a 2022 lottery-protected first-round draft choice. While Levi’s .964 save percentage in Canada’s run to the gold-medal game at world juniors topped Carey Price’s mark from 2007, at 6 feet tall, Levi lacks prototypical size for a goaltender. He also didn’t appear in a game for Northeastern as a freshman because of an injury sustained at the tournament.
Yet, when you expect Levi to surrender a goal on a dangerous scoring chance by the other team, he often finds a way to make a save. He has twice been named Hockey East Rookie of the Week and has also earned top goaltender of the week honors. Levi is playing so well that it’s fair to wonder if he’s become the Sabres’ top goaltending prospect, ascending above Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in Rochester and Erik Portillo at the University of Michigan.
An outstanding season in the Central Canada Hockey League, and a recommendation by three-time Vezina Trophy winner Roberto Luongo, led to his selection by the Panthers with the 212nd pick in October 2020. Even if Levi continues this pace, his lack of games played at the college level could delay his signing another year. There’s also no rush with Luukkonen in Rochester. But an organization in desperate need of goaltending help in the NHL suddenly has three prospects who have the potential to develop into the starter in Buffalo.
“I expect nothing less from myself,” said Levi. “To be the backbone of the team and give the team a chance to go out and win every game.”
Response
Portillo had an important bounce-back performance Saturday night, stopping 21 of 23 shots in a 6-2 victory over Minnesota. Portillo, 21, was pulled early in his previous start after allowing five goals on only 22 shots in a loss to the Golden Gophers. A third-round pick in 2019, Portillo has a .913 save percentage and 2.37 goals-against average in 18 games as a sophomore with the Wolverines.
Up north
Winger Olivier Nadeau, a fourth-round draft choice of Buffalo in July 2021, ranks sixth in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 37 points in 24 games for Shawinigan. Elsewhere in the league, Sabres prospect Viljami Marjala (fifth round, 2021) has two goals and 11 points in 25 games for Quebec.
