Maple Leafs’ Trade Impacts Sabres’ Devon Levi Market Value

The Toronto Maple Leafs wasted no time diving into the trade market just two days after the Stanley Cup was awarded. They sent goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Emil Andrae, goaltender Samuel Ersson, and a third-round pick in 2026. This decision came as the Leafs faced a challenging situation with three goaltenders—Anthony Stolarz, Woll, and young prospect Dennis Hildeby—who all required waivers.

In contrast, the Buffalo Sabres find themselves in an even tighter spot as they head into next season. With four goaltenders needing to clear waivers to be assigned to the American Hockey League, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen indicated that he was pleased with the performances of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis last season. However, this leaves 24-year-old Devon Levi in a precarious position.

Levi has spent the last three seasons playing 120 games in the AHL with the Rochester Americans, while appearing in just nine games for the Sabres. After being reassigned to the Amerks following training camp, his hopes for NHL ice time were dashed when Buffalo claimed Ellis off waivers from the St. Louis Blues in early October.

“(Devon is) a talented goalie, he’s played some great hockey at the American League level, and he’s played some games in the NHL,” Kekalainen noted. “Probably the toughest position of any positions on a hockey team is to get the responsibility to be a goalie that coaches rely upon on a regular basis. Next year he’ll need waivers, so it’s another part of that process, and we see how he keeps developing. I think he’s an NHL caliber talent that has the potential to be a good goalie in this league for a long time.”

Ideally, the Sabres would hope to acquire a prospect or a high draft pick for Levi, but Toronto’s recent trade may have influenced the market for available goaltenders. Established veterans like New Jersey’s Jacob Markstrom and Vegas’s Adin Hill, both with substantial contracts, may require salary retention to facilitate a trade. Other goalies rumored to be on the market, such as Columbus’s Elvis Merzlikins and Montreal’s Samuel Montembeault, are less appealing after subpar seasons.

While Woll has shown flashes of potential, he struggled with a defensively challenged Toronto team last season, and the return for him was a bottom-pairing defenseman and a low third-round pick. Compounding the Sabres’ challenges is the presence of other young, cost-effective goalies potentially available, such as Detroit’s first-round pick Sebastian Cossa, who is reportedly being offered up by the Red Wings.

Levi is still under contract for another year on a two-year bridge deal worth $812,500. As teams look for a backup or tandem goalie this summer, the Sabres may find it difficult to secure a favorable return for Levi unless Kekalainen considers including him in a larger trade package. The once-coveted prospect’s market value may not be as high as it once was.

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Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.