The Buffalo Sabres are currently still in the playoff race as they chase the Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Recently they added their best young goaltender to the mix and since Devon Levi has arrived, he has been impressive. Despite only playing one game (and winning it in spectacular fashion) he has exuded confidence and has looked better than the other three Sabres goalies have all year.
Recently Craig Anderson has been injured so he has been out of the mix, but in his absence, Eric Comrie has stepped up in a big way. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has looked average, but has still been serviceable when called upon. The key for head coach Don Granato now is to figure out how to deploy his trio of goalies to maximize their playoff chances.
Devon Levi Is The Future
At the ripe young age of 21, Levi has shown that he has what it takes to deal with pressure situations. Over the past few years, he proved that he is arguably one of the best all-time college goaltenders by posting some ridiculous numbers; 66 games played, 1.90 goals-against average (GAA), .942 save percentage (SV%), 16 shutouts, and a 38-22-6 record. Now he has made his way to the NHL and he had an explosive debut. He backstopped the Sabres to a 3-2 overtime win against the New York Rangers, and there were maybe two moments at the beginning of the game where he looked nervous. The rest of the night, he was in control and looked better with each save.
It is ambitious to assume a player’s skill and potential by just one career game played, but as the Sabres move forward this season, there is no better time to test this kid’s resolve. All year they have gotten subpar goaltending from Comrie and Luukkonen, and in one game played, Levi looks miles ahead of both of them. Playing a young rookie goaltender in a pressure situation like the Sabres are in is bold, but he has risen to every challenge thrown his way so far, and he deserves a chance to conquer this one too.
Craig Anderson Has Served His Purpose
Anderson has been one of the brightest spots for the Sabres as a whole this season, but his age has always been the biggest issue. They have tried to lean on him more than they should have, and it has caused his play to diminish towards the end of this year. He is currently out with an injury, and it would not shock me to see him shut down for the rest of the season as Granato likely rotates his three young goalies.
Anderson has more to provide than just his on-ice play, and that is his veteran experience. At the seasoned age of 42, he has played a tremendous 22 seasons in the NHL, and in that span of time he has learned so many invaluable lessons that he can pass down to young goalies like Levi and Luukkonen. He will likely retire after this season, but it cannot be described how important he has been to this team over the past two years.
Comrie and Luukkonen Have A Fight On Their Hands
With Levi in town and poised to fight for the starting role for the remainder of the year, it begs the question as to which of the other two young goalies will be around next season. Neither of them has put up stellar, or even good statistics so far, and one will likely be on the chopping block. Both of them only have one year left on their contracts so after next season they would either need extensions or be moved in a trade. Comrie recently has been the better of the two, but Luukkonen’s youth may leave him with higher trade value to other teams if Buffalo decides to move him to solidify Levi’s position in the NHL.
For what games remain in the Sabres’ schedule, there is not much time left for Comrie or Luukkonen to impress Granato or general manager Kevyn Adams. With Levi pushing them for playing time, the writing is definitely on the wall for one of them. Keeping Comrie over Luukkonen may be a bold idea in the short term, but it is not the worst one. Ultimately Luukkonen was supposed to step up and be the Sabres’ future starter in goal, but he has shown so many gaping holes in his game that it might be better to move on from him and focus on Levi.
Levi Should Start the Majority of the Remaining Games
The Sabres have seven games remaining, and they basically need to win all of them to have a legitimate shot at the playoffs. Playing Levi for four to five of those remaining games would be the best idea Granato could have. If he continues to play as well as he did against the Rangers, then Buffalo will maximize their points and only need to rely on Comrie and Luukkonen for one game each. Should Levi falter and break down in any way and the Sabres miss the playoffs again, it would only benefit him going into next season.
Related: Sabres Learn New Lessons Going Into Next Season
Levi is the type of goaltender that lives for pressure and he learns better than most from his mistakes. Allowing him to take the reins and adjust to the speed of the NHL game, while also learning what he needs to improve on as a whole will make an immense difference going into next season. It’s not just about how the Sabres finish in the standings, it’s about how well they develop their young players and put them in positions to succeed in 2023-24 too. He is not the solution to all of their problems, but by putting Levi in the driver’s seat now, they will only be giving him the tools to push for a starting job next year.