The Edmonton Oilers conducted serious research into Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi over the weekend, but a deal never materialized, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Friedman revealed on the 32 Thoughts podcast that Buffalo made Levi available to multiple teams, and that Edmonton was among the clubs that took a hard look. “I heard a team that did some real research into him was Edmonton,” Friedman said, “but obviously that didn’t happen.”
The reasons behind the breakdown are not yet clear. It is unknown whether the sides couldn’t agree on a return package, whether Buffalo’s asking price exceeded what Bowman was willing to pay, or whether another factor caused talks to stall.
Levi, 23, has shown flashes of strong NHL-calibre play but has yet to establish himself as a reliable starter at the league level. He did not play in the NHL during the 2025-26 season, with only nine games the season before. He certainly isn’t the kind of goalie the Oilers could have relied upon as a starter next season.
The Sabres have been actively shopping him ahead of the July 1 free agency deadline.
Edmonton continues to search for a goaltending solution heading into 2026-27. According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the market is expected to heat up significantly this week, with Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, Sam Montembeault and Jacob Markstrom among the netminders available ahead of the deadline.
Levi was one option. For now, the Oilers will need to look elsewhere.
Next: Connor Hellebuyck Approved a Failed Jets Draft Deal with Sabres — What Now?
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