Devon Levi might be the one name in Edmonton's crowded goaltending mix nobody can fully predict yet.
Speaking on ON Everyday, Levi was framed as the genuine wild card among all the netminders in the Oilers organization right now.
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That hype traces back to his time at Northeastern University, where he built a real reputation before ever turning pro.
Levi was a seventh round pick of the Florida Panthers back in 2020, taken 212th overall, hardly a pedigree that usually generates this much attention.
His path since has been a real mix of NHL auditions and AHL seasoning. Across parts of three NHL seasons split between Buffalo and now Edmonton, he's posted a 3.29 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage in 39 total games.
Why patience matters more than results right now
That NHL sample size is still genuinely small, and it hasn't been especially strong on the surface. But his AHL numbers with Rochester tell a more encouraging story, including a strong 2024-25 stretch where he posted a .919 save percentage across 42 games.
Last season with Rochester, he managed a .904 save percentage over 52 games, respectable, if not yet the kind of dominant run that settles every doubt.
That's exactly why the "wild card" label fits. Levi hasn't been bad, but he also hasn't shown enough at the NHL level yet to be treated as a finished product.
Edmonton's goaltending picture is unusually crowded this season, with Frederik Andersen, Tristan Jarry, and Levi all competing for real opportunities in some form.
Given that competition, Levi likely isn't walking into a starting job immediately. But he's the youngest of the group with real long-term upside still attached to his name.
The honest read here is patience. If Edmonton lets his development continue at a reasonable pace rather than rushing him into a heavy NHL workload too soon, there's a real path for Levi to eventually become exactly what that quote suggested, a legitimate long-term answer in net.
Whether that happens this season or takes another year or two of seasoning remains the open question, but for now, Levi is the one name in this goaltending mix carrying real, unresolved upside.
Is Devon Levi the Oilers' real goaltender of the future?
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