Would Devon Levi Be a Senators’ Long-Term Goalie Solution?
The Ottawa Senators are once again being linked to goaltending upgrades, but this time the name surfacing is a familiar one with upside still to be tapped. According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi has emerged as a potential target for the Senators as GM Steve Staios explores both free agency and trade options.
Levi’s NHL start was terrific. Since then, his results have been less consistent.
Levi’s career arc has been anything but linear. Once viewed as the future of the Buffalo Sabres crease, he burst onto the scene with a composed, technically refined game that briefly gave Buffalo hope of a playoff push in 2023. At that time, he looked like a potential long-term starter. He was calm under pressure, positionally sound, and unusually mature for a young goalie.
Since that early surge, however, things have stalled. Levi has bounced between the NHL and AHL, and Buffalo ultimately opted to give him more development time in the minors. Over 39 NHL appearances, he has posted a 3.29 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage — numbers that reflect inconsistency more than stability.
Last season, Levi had a strong year with the Rochester Americans.
In 2025–26, Levi spent the entire season with AHL Rochester, where he put up more encouraging numbers: a 2.83 GAA and a .904 save percentage across 52 games. While not dominant, those stats suggest a goalie still refining his game rather than one without a future.
For Ottawa, the fit is intriguing but complicated. The Senators have been searching for long-term stability in net, and Levi represents a low-cost, high-upside gamble. With an $812,500 cap hit and team control already secured for next season, he is financially appealing and easy to fit into the roster structure.
Could Levi become more than a stopgap for the Senators?
The idea is not that Levi steps in as an immediate starter, but rather that he develops in tandem with the team’s existing goaltending plan. Ideally, he could be groomed behind a veteran such as Linus Ullmark, learning structure, consistency, and workload management at the NHL level without being thrown into full-time pressure too early.
Still, the risk is real. Ottawa already experimented with young goaltending this season, and the results were mixed. Levi is only slightly older than their current options and has yet to complete a full NHL campaign.
That’s why he remains an under-discussed but fascinating name — not a guaranteed solution, but a calculated bet on untapped potential.