Devon Levi

Levi split time between Buffalo and AHL Rochester last season. Expectations of instant NHL stardom were simply too much, but he thrived in the minors once he went down in January. Levi posted a 16-6-4 record and 2.42 GAA in 26 games with the Amerks, and started to look every bit the star people believed he'd be. His 2024-25 seems set in the AHL after the Sabres inked Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to a five-year deal in late July. Honestly, that's good for Levi and the Sabres, too, at least for a couple of seasons. The young netminder can grow his game and then move into the backup role in 2025-26.

Although Levi wasn't selected until the No. 212 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, at this point his potential is clear. He was a phenomenal netminder with Northeastern University, posting a 2.24 GAA and a .933 save percentage in 34 NCAA games as a junior last year. He also got a taste of the NHL with Buffalo, recording a 5-2-0 record, 2.94 GAA and .905 save percentage in seven starts. While those numbers with the Sabres don't look great, he didn't get much help defensively, which is highlighted by him finishing the campaign with 3.1 goals saved above expected. Unfortunately, Buffalo might not be able to help him much more defensively this season. The 21-year-old goaltender might also go through some growing pains, which further makes him a risk. Still, he's positioned to start the campaign as Buffalo's starting goaltender and that, combined with his sky-high potential, makes him an interesting fantasy option.