Devon Levi Might Be the Goalie the Oilers Have Always Needed

Ladies and gentlemen, the Edmonton Oilers might finally have the franchise goalie they’ve been after since Dwayne Roloson left town more than 17 years ago. Devon Levi has been lights-out in net for the Oilers this season, posting a 6-1-0 record and boosting his teammates’ confidence with big saves at key moments.

Levi Providing the Style of Goaltending the Oilers Need

With quick reflexes, including a lightning-fast glove hand, Levi looks a lot like great goalies who once wore Oilers colours such as Grant Fuhr, Andy Moog, Bill Ranford, and Curtis Joseph. Those goalies also played behind high-octane offences and were often left alone to make big saves — which they did time after time.

During the Connor McDavid era in Edmonton, offence has been king and the defensive struggles have been well documented. Now, under head coach Mike Babcock and associate coach D.J. Smith, the Oilers have been taking care of things in their own end. But when there’s been a defensive breakdown, Levi has been there to stop the puck with timely saves. That’s something the Oilers have needed for a long, long time.

From Third Goalie in Buffalo to Starter in Edmonton

Levi reminds me a lot of Calgary Flames great Miikka Kiprusoff. Both goalies were number three on their respective teams’ depth charts and were deemed expendable. Kiprusoff was given new life when Flames general manager Daryl Sutter traded for him from the San Jose Sharks in November of 2003, and it looks like history is repeating itself three hours north.

Levi was never given a legitimate shot within the Buffalo Sabres organization and is now coming into his own in Edmonton. The Sabres might end up regretting the July 1, 2026 trade that brought Levi and a 2028 seventh-round pick to the Oilers in exchange for a third round pick in 2028.

The League is Starting to Take Notice

On the Oct. 22 edition of the Neilson Show on Edmonton Sports Talk, former NHL goalie Jamie McLennan provided some interesting insight into what he’s been seeing from Levi. “The one thing that really impresses me is his lateral movement…You know, we haven’t seen a goaltender with that type of flexibility and lateral movement (in Edmonton). They’ve had bigger, more kind of blocky goaltenders that were, you know, aren’t weren’t as athletic. He (Levi) is an athletic goaltender…He’s not 6-foot-6, but the one thing that I’ve noticed is his game… He’s got explosive side to side, explosive feet.”

That’s a positive assessment of Levi coming from a guy who knows a thing or two about goaltending.

Levi Inspired by Legendary NHL Goaltenders

The confident 24 year old from Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec has found inspiration in goaltending greats that have come before him including former Montreal Canadiens keeper Carey Price, the Oilers’ Fuhr, and Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks. In a 2017 interview with Kathryn Greenaway of the Montreal Gazette, the then 15 year old Levi talked about patterning his game after Price.

“I try to base my game on his calm style. He’s always in front of the puck and always in control.” (From: “Greenaway: ‘ Star Midget AAA goalie bears striking resemblance to idol Carey Price ’, Montreal Gazette, 02/07/17).

After being traded to the Oilers, Levi designed his new mask as a direct tribute to Fuhr. The design came together after Levi spent an hour and a half chatting about hockey history with Fuhr at an American Hockey League All-Star event. Luongo has also been a big advocate of Levi. When Levi was drafted into the NHL by the Florida Panthers, Luongo personally advocated for him, and Levi has also mentioned Luongo as a significant childhood inspiration.

Levi Might Be the Goalie to Save the Day for the Oilers

Goaltending has always been a sensitive topic in Edmonton and the Oilers might be lucky enough to have found the goalie they’ve needed in Levi. Obviously, it’s early in the season and there’s a lot of hockey yet to be played but based on how well Levi has come out of the gate, you can’t help but think he’s going to get better and better the more he plays. That’s good news for a franchise and fan base who’ve been waiting for the “next one” in net.