Should the Edmonton Oilers pursue Devon Levi

We are all well aware of the Edmonton Oilers’ neverending need for goaltending. Here we have a once promising prospect that started strong and has never been given another chance to prove himself, despite strong numbers in the AHL. Obviously the fit is there. The Oilers need someone to step up, and Levi is in a position to jump at that chance. But is this a situation the Oilers should pursue further?

Devon Levi player profile

An incredibly decorated player for his time in minor leagues, Levi has had a fairly high pedigree for many years. In his draft year in 2019–20, he led the CCHL in many goaltending categories while winning Rookie of the Year, Top Goaltender, and MVP of the CJHL.

That spring, he was selected in the seventh round of the NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers.

Levi has been one of the top goalie prospects in the league since his standout performance at the World Junior Classic in 2021. In seven games, Levi posted a 0.75 GAA with a .964 SV%, helping guide Team Canada to a silver medal while being named the best goaltender of the tournament.

That summer, Levi was sent to Buffalo in a trade that brought Sam Reinhart to the Panthers. Since then, Levi played two seasons in the NCAA before turning pro in 2023. In both seasons in the NCAA, Levi was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and won the NCAA Top Collegiate Goalie Award. In his first season, he won the NCAA Top Collegiate Rookie Award.

Needless to say, Levi is a decorated and accomplished player who has achieved success everywhere he goes. Until he got to Buffalo and has since found himself stuck in the Sabres’ development pipeline.

What he lacks in size, Levi more than makes up for in athleticism and footwork to make sure he can get to where the puck is. He is a smart player who can read the game well. Levi has a competitive drive to succeed that helps him achieve that at every level he has played. With the right coaching and system, there is no reason to believe that he would not achieve similar things at the NHL level.

Is Devon Levi a fit for the Edmonton Oilers?

This past offseason, the future of the net in Edmonton started to take a drastic turn. What had been a barren prospect pipeline suddenly became competitive with the rise of Samuel Jonsson and Nathaniel Day, both of whom have achieved early success at the pro level. Thing is, neither of them are near NHL ready. Not near enough for a team in win-now mode.

The crease in Edmonton is, as usual, controversial. After yet another offseason of sitting on hands, the Oilers’ front office appeared confident that a change in goalie coach would be enough to salvage Stuart Skinner’s career. So far, the results have not paid off as the same problems are still apparent in his game.

In all likelihood, the Oilers will need a new starting goaltender sooner rather than later, as if we haven’t been saying that for a number of years already. Although the problems on this year’s roster run deeper than just Skinner or Calvin Pickard, they are not getting any help from the position. Skinner has been closer to average than he has been in other seasons, but is still making the same nature of costly mistakes that take away from his otherwise fine performance. Pickard has always struggled against competitive opponents, but the team in front of him usually picked up the slack. Which, this season, they have not done so.

Can Levi help in win-now mode?

The biggest question is if Devon Levi can help a team in win-now mode. Can a team with Stanley Cup aspirations like the Edmonton Oilers place a bet on a rookie goalie with less than 50 games of NHL experience to come in and save the season or even this version of the team?

That is the risky part of making this move the front office must weigh. Levi, at this point, would probably be cheaper to acquire than he otherwise might have been in the past. Especially since this is a trade with Buffalo. It may, however, be a move better suited for a team who needs to win in two seasons, once there’s been a chance for Levi to fully acclimate to the NHL.

The counterpoint would be that the Oilers have been able to play to a 36–18–3 record in front of Calvin Pickard, a .658 points percentage in games where he has been in net for the deciding goal. Not including the six-game win streak last postseason that saved the playoff run.

If this team were to start playing like they have in other recent seasons, there is a chance this could work. If Levi’s athleticism and intelligence can cover for or even compliment the way the Oilers give up chances, the lack of experience could be covered by the rest of the team giving him a crash course on being an NHLer.

The other thing to consider is what goalies are even available. The goalie market was weak over the offseason and no goalie that would have made a major impact or improvement for the Oilers was on the move. It appears to be a similar situation early in the season, as Levi is probably the most noteworthy goalie in any sort of trade discussion at this point, other than Skinner himself.

Ultimately, the move for Levi would be a great add to the organization. But it does run the risk of him not being ready to take on a starting role immediately for a team in win-now mode and leaving him in the mix of the already excessive amount of goalies in the Oilers depth chart. This would not be a move to make for this season, it would be a trade made to help in two or three seasons, after Levi has had some time in the NHL to grow into the starting role.