Buffalo Sabres

A Goalie the Oilers Might Get Almost for Free

Devon Levi could be a low-cost gamble for the Oilers—high upside, but is he the long-term answer in net Edmonton needs?

by
Old Prof
May 23, 2026

Devon Levi could check a lot of boxes for the Edmonton Oilers if they want to take a relatively cheap, somewhat risky swing at a long-term solution in net. He’s still young and affordable (team control and an NHL entry-level cap hit). Even better, he has shown flashes of elite talent. When he’s on his game, he shows pinpoint tracking, quick reflexes and the kind of positioning that made him dominant in college and at the World Juniors.

Those peak moments (his Northeastern numbers and .964 at the World Juniors weren’t flukes) are the upside. Goalies can be up and down, but if his development clicks again, he’s the sort of goalie who could step into heavy minutes. He basically carried the Sabres to the postseason at the end of 2023, and he could grow into a true starter. A huge upside is that it wouldn’t cost Edmonton a big contract or expensive assets.

Since 2023, Levi Has Had an Up-and-Down NHL Experience

All this said, Levi’s track record since the early burst has been up-and-down. After a hot run in 2023 that produced optimism, he’s bounced between the NHL and AHL. He posted middling NHL numbers overall (.894 SV% over a limited sample) and spent 2025–26 mostly in the AHL.

To translate, the high ceiling is real, but so is the inconsistency. The risk is he never settles into a reliable NHL baseline; the reward is massive if he does.

Why Edmonton specifically?

The Oilers have been struggling in the crease since Jack Campbell failed to work out for them. Levi gives them cost-effectiveness and fit. The Oilers can afford to roll the dice because his cap hit is tiny, and acquiring him shouldn’t require a blockbuster package. It might just be a modest trade, depending on Buffalo’s stance.

Edmonton wouldn’t be forced into a quick decision; they could let him develop behind a veteran or split starts while evaluating whether his flashes translate to season-long results. For a contender that still needs long-term certainty in goal, the low financial and asset costs make the gamble sensible. What makes his game so appealing is that he was excellent when he was thrown in over his head, just coming out of university.

Devon Levi Sabres extension — Devon Levi of the Buffalo Sabres

How It Could Pan Out for the Oilers

If Levi rediscovers his college form and gets consistent coaching and workload management, he could become the kind of starter who thrives on technique and reads. He’d give Edmonton a long runway without a massive contract. Best-case team payoff is huge: he’d have a low acquisition cost, controllable salary, and possibly 25-to-30 wins a season as a starter.

The downside and realistic cost? If it doesn’t work, the loss is minimal. He might cost as little as a few low-round picks or a depth player and a year of cap-cheap roster flexibility. The main cost is opportunity. Getting him would take a limited roster spot that could have gone to a proven vet.

But compared with buying an expensive veteran or giving up top prospects, Levi is a cheap, logical swing with a clear upside and limited downside. He might be exactly the sort of gamble a contender with cap pressure might sensibly make.