September 22, 2026 by Eric Friesen

Sometimes, a change of scenery is all a player needs to take the next step in their career. That’s what Edmonton Oilers goalie Devon Levi is surely hoping for after he was acquired along with a 2028 seventh-round pick from the Buffalo Sabres on July 1 in exchange for a 2028 third-round pick.

Once viewed as one of the top goaltending prospects in hockey, Levi spent the past five seasons in the Sabres’ organization, posting a 17-17-2 record, with an .899 save percentage and a 3.10 goals against average in 39 career NHL games. However, Levi spent all of last season with the Rochester Americans in the AHL after free-agent signing Alex Lyon and waiver-claim Colten Ellis each stole jobs with the NHL club.

Now, Levi is joining another crowded crease in Edmonton, where he was likely penciled in as the third netminder in a three-goalie system. But with projected starter Frederik Andersen expected to miss the first month of the season with a lingering knee injury, there is a real opportunity for Levi to see meaningful playing time, and make it difficult for new Head Coach Mike Babcock to take him out from between the pipes.

“I think the best way to prepare for that is to not prepare,” Levi told the Edmonton media before his first pre-season game with the Oilers on Tuesday. “You know, there’s always a plan, and it always changes. So, I’m just focusing on my game and myself, regardless. There could be 12 goalies, there could be one goalie, I’m still doing the same thing.”

With just three exhibition games remaining before the Oilers’ season opener against the Vancouver Canucks on September 29, their starting goalie still hasn’t been named. The 24-year-old is vying for the coveted spot against 10-year NHL veteran Tristan Jarry, who is also looking to bounce back after a rough first season in Oil Country.

Related: 2026 Oilers Free Agent Frenzy Wrap

“I’m definitely ready [for the competition],” Levi stated emphatically. “I think it will be a healthy competition, too. Jars is a great guy. We’ve had some good conversations. We don’t really look at as who’s going to take it from one another, it’s who can help the team. So, honestly, for me, I’m just letting the decisions be made by the people who make the decisions, and just stopping the puck.”

Despite going 20 months without playing in an NHL game, Levi didn’t allow his extended stretch in the AHL to discourage him from chasing his dream. Instead, he values his time in Rochester for helping him grow into the goalie and man he is today.

“I think my time in the American League, just since turning pro, there’s been so many lessons, so much maturing that has taken place for me personally,” Levi said. “I feel like not only a different goalie, but a different person standing here.

“The last time [I was in Edmonton] was my World Juniors tournament. That was an awesome time in my life, but I do feel like I’ve taken a step since then. I feel like pro hockey teaches you how to be mentally tough and it toughens your skin a little bit. I needed those lessons. It was the best three years of my life.”

At 6-foot and 192-pounds, the Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec native is considered an undersized goalie by modern standards. NHL clubs have prioritized drafting and developing bigger goaltenders for a quarter century, but the surge in cross-ice passing to create scoring opportunities off quick one-timers could favour smaller, agile keepers, like Levi.

“I think a lot of people try to put a science behind goaltending, when it’s really an art,” Levi insists. “I think it’s a super creative position. I don’t think there’s really a right way to do it. You see so many different body type that are doing it. There’s no one way to keep the puck out of the net, so just be yourself, and have fun doing it.”