The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Die By The Blade community. It was a combination of six staff writers and over 485 fans that ranked players under the age of 25 as of August 10, 2021. Each participant used their own metric of current ability and production to rank each player.
This summer, Kevyn Adams added another long term goalie asset to the Buffalo Sabres, now ranking slightly above our previous long term goalie asset, Erik Portillo. Drafted in the 7th round in the 2020 NHL Entry draft by the Panthers, Levi followed that late draft status with a stellar WJC performance where an injury caused him to miss the remaining NCAA season.
The 2020-21 starting goalie for Northeastern transfers to Union College and the backup finishes what should be his last year of eligibility (5 NCAA seasons), Levi looks primed to slide right into the starting role for Northeastern in 2021-22.
For his future in Sabres fandom, Levi will undoubtedly have unfair expectations as a piece in the underwhelming Reinhart trade, but should hopefully gather attention from Sabre-prospect-watchers as the years go on, unlike our last goalie “throw in”, Jason Kasdorf.
Other than that, Levi challenges the growing belief that your goalies have to be the large and lanky. With only a 6’ build (at age 19, mind you), Levi will be trying his best to be the shortest goalie we’ve sent to the pro’s since Jhonas Enroth (don’t fact check me, but I think I’m right)
Former NHL goalie Mike Condon will coach Sabres prospect Devon Levi at Northeastern. https://t.co/1A4vZuRdC7
— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) August 3, 2021
.@strombone1, BIG Devon Levi fan. 🤗@FlaPanthers GM Bill Zito explains how Roberto Luongo really pushed the team to draft the Canadian goalie and discusses his performance at the #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/4RpdhqyaNJ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 2, 2021
Devon Levi having the easiest tournament I think I’ve ever seen a WJC goalie have
— Steve Kournianos (@TheDraftAnalyst) January 4, 2021
#25 Casey Fitzgerald
#24 Aaron Huglen
#23 Linus Weissbach
#22 Aleksandr Kisakov
#21 Albert Lyckåsen
#20 Erik Portillo