SabresFan220 Posted March 17 Share Posted March 17 Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images Sabres fans wait with bated breath on the Northeastern goalie. Since Devon Levi and his Northeastern team’s season seemingly ended last weekend, Buffalo Sabres fans have been waiting with bated breath on the goaltender’s future. Northeastern is not likely to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, so Levi’s season is most likely over, leaving him with several options. The questions now are: what is best for Levi? What’s best for the Sabres? And which option will he - and, in part, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams - choose to go with? Option #1: Coming to Buffalo, Now Levi could sign an entry-level contract to begin immediately with the NHL club. This would allow him to make the jump right to the NHL, right now. He could join the Sabres immediately. I find this option to probably be the least likely, at least from Levi’s standpoint. It all depends on what he wants and if he feels comfortable jumping right into the NHL from college. If he’d prefer to give it some time and possibly play in the AHL for a bit, this wouldn’t be the option to go with. It’s also a matter of how the Sabres would then juggle having even more goalies than they already do, though with Eric Comrie currently sidelined, perhaps this is less of a problem. Part of the factor here also has to be Levi’s comfort level with coming to the NHL straight from college, as well as what the Sabres’ playoff hopes look like. A note here: if he chooses this option, he would not be eligible to join the Amerks for the playoffs. Option #2: Sign & Go to Rochester Now What seems like the most likely option would be for Levi to sign his entry-level deal with the Sabres to start next season, then join the AHL’s Rochester Americans on an amateur tryout (ATO) for the rest of the current season. The Amerks do already have two goalies in Malcolm Subban and Michael Houser, but there’s no reason Levi couldn’t become part of the rotation. It would be a lower-pressure situation for him than just coming right to the NHL, and would allow Seth Appert & his crew to work with Levi to give him the minutes he wants & deserves, particularly as the season goes on. Option #3: Sign for Next Season Levi could choose to sign his entry-level contract beginning next season, and not sign an ATO with Rochester. This seems incredibly unlikely, but it’s not impossible. Option #4: Return to School There is, of course, the option that Levi could choose to return for his senior season with the Huskies. He could do this simply because he wants to play another year of college hockey, and have another chance at an NCAA Tournament run. As much as there is to be said about the benefits of going pro, some players may also enjoy college and college hockey and the camaraderie that comes with it, and we can’t fault them for that. (No, we really can’t.) Of course, this option would also gives Levi essentially the chance to choose his NHL team after next season, something we’ve seen other players do in the past. It comes down to what kind of future he wants, and what kind of future he sees for himself within the Sabres organization. We’re Still Waiting With both the NHL and AHL regular seasons beginning to wind down, we should know more about what Levi chooses in the coming days. If he wants to join the Amerks for what could be a deep playoff run, there’s an option for that. If he wants to suit up in the NHL right away, there’s an option for that. If he wants to take his time and figure it out - well, there are options for that, too. View the full article Quote My Adopt A Sabre:Patrick Kaleta My Adopt a Buffalo Bandit: John Tavares Get Paid to watch commercials http://www.varolo.com/village/Tjm220 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Very Wide Right Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 If Levi is smart he would demand a trade. The Sabres franchise is a career waster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcw Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 30 minutes ago, Very Wide Right said: If Levi is smart he would demand a trade. The Sabres franchise is a career waster. Why would he demand a trade when he could have just not signed with the Sabres and been a free agent? You obviously have no clue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Very Wide Right Posted Sunday at 03:33 PM Share Posted Sunday at 03:33 PM 21 hours ago, bcw said: Why would he demand a trade when he could have just not signed with the Sabres and been a free agent? You obviously have no clue. You are correct, NHL contracts aren't something I worry about however once a deal is signed the player must demand a trade to leave RIGHT? I do know that I have seen dozens of high potential players join this franchise and waste their careers yet blossom when they leave.Any player agent worth his salt would quickly steer any client away from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcw Posted Sunday at 03:39 PM Share Posted Sunday at 03:39 PM Just now, Very Wide Right said: You are correct, NHL contracts aren't something I worry about. I do know that I have seen dozens of high potential players join this franchise and waste their careers yet blossom when they leave.Any player agent worth his salt would quickly steer any client away from here. I was really worried he wouldn’t sign. The Sabres have been building him up to be the franchise savior. Adams seemed confident all along so I’m sure Levi let him know what his plan was all along. I imagine the Sabres didn’t go after a long term starting goalie last offseason or at the deadline to make it Levi feel the job was his to take as soon as he was ready. If he felt this wasn’t the ideal fit he could have easily decided not to sign with the Sabres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seandelevan Posted Sunday at 05:44 PM Share Posted Sunday at 05:44 PM Let him sit. Don’t fucking destroy his confidence playing him behind this shit defense. Maybe after they are eliminated from playoff contention next year you start him…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry Byrds Posted Sunday at 08:37 PM Share Posted Sunday at 08:37 PM On 3/18/2023 at 1:07 PM, Very Wide Right said: If Levi is smart he would demand a trade. The Sabres franchise is a career waster. I’m cool with your politics but you are not a sports guy. I owned you in the nfl when you said the 49ers would win it all and I said that the AFC would win because nobody in the NFC was good enough. Stop embarrassing yourself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foster Posted Sunday at 09:20 PM Share Posted Sunday at 09:20 PM 3 hours ago, seandelevan said: Let him sit. Don’t fucking destroy his confidence playing him behind this shit defense. Maybe after they are eliminated from playoff contention next year you start him…. I feel the opposite. Roll him out there and give him a sense of the pace and skill level of the NHL. He's either going to be successful or he's going to get an understanding of what he needs to work on. He chose the NHL, not AHL route by the contract he signed. Unfortunately, his options are games through the end of the season and he has no opportunity to play in the Playoffs in Rochester. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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