FEATURE: Levi the Artist

EDMONTON, AB – “I think the best way to prepare for that is not to prepare.”

Goaltender Devon Levi isn’t intimidated by the three-goalie system he’s become a part of in Oil Country, because the 24-year-old is only focused on what’s in front of him, which is painting the best picture of himself in the blue paint whenever called upon.

“I think there's opportunity for sure,” Levi said after Tuesday’s pre-game skate at Rogers Place before travelling to Winnipeg to make his pre-season debut. “I still am not really focusing on what the landscape is and more just my game every single day.

“I know that if I play my best, things will work out. So regardless of the landscape, I'm just trying to stay focused on what I can control and what I can see. That's my everyday process and my everyday game.”

The Montreal, QC product sees himself as something of an artist when it comes to being a netminder, using his athleticism as a smaller goalie at 6-foot-0 and 192 pounds to navigate the crease quickly while following his own beliefs about how he'll be able to adapt to the NHL game moving forward.

Despite being on the older side of up-and-coming goalies at 24, Levi has positioned himself to take a big jump between the pipes in Edmonton this season after arriving in an off-season trade with the Buffalo Sabres to join a three-goalie system for the Oilers that includes NHL veterans Tristan Jarry and off-season signing Frederik Andersen.

Levi has already benefited from the competition with Jarry at Training Camp, with the two developing a strong relationship where they're both just focused on making the next save – regardless of who'll be in the crease on opening night on Sept. 29.

"I'm definitely ready. I think it'll be a healthy competition too," he said. "Jarry's a great guy. We've had some good conversations. We don't really look at it as like who's going to take it from one another – it's about who can help the team. For me, it's letting the people who make the decisions make them and just stopping in the puck. Regardless of my position, I do the same thing every day.

A late seventh-round draft pick of the Florida Panthers in 2020, Levi put himself on the map in the bubble in Edmonton during the 2021 World Juniors with Team Canada, where he earned Goaltender Of The Tournament honours with a .964 save percentage, a 0.75 goals-against average and a 6-1-0 record – losing out on gold to the United States after making 30 saves on 32 shots in a 2-0 shutout defeat in the final.

After three seasons of NCAA hockey with Northeastern University, Levi was part of the Sam Reinhart trade that sent him to Buffalo, and he made his NHL debut with the Sabres in 2023, appearing seven times to a 5-2-0 record.

But with only 30 career NHL appearances over two seasons with the Sabres, the bulk of Levi's growth has come in the AHL, where he made 120 career appearances for the Rochester Americans over three minor-league campaigns and posted strong numbers with a 64-39-22 record, a .915 save percentage, and a 2.52 GAA.

Those lessons have been critical to having Levi in the right place and feeling like a completely different person entering a pivotal Training Camp, where he has plenty of opportunity to impress and earn early-season minutes in the Oilers' crease with Andersen still out injured.

"I think my time in the American League since turning pro, so many lessons and so much maturing has taken place," he said. "For me personally, I feel like not only a different goalie, but just a different person standing here.  The last time I was here was my World Juniors tournament.  You know, that was an awesome time in my life.  But I do feel like I've taken a step since then.

"I feel like pro hockey really teaches you how to be mentally tough, and it kind of toughens your skin a little bit. I needed those lessons. It was the best three years of my life for me, so they got me ready for today."

For Levi, who’s expressive in his love for the art of being a goalie, he isn’t concerned with the opinions of those who think there’s only one way to play the position.

In the debate of art against science in goaltending, Levi prefers the blank canvas, wanting to paint his personal self-portrait about how he plays one of the most scrutinized and important positions in the game – all as a younger player looking to earn a permanent residency in the NHL.

“A lot of people try to put a science behind goaltending,” Levi said. “I think it's an art; I think that it's a super creative position. I don't think there's really a right way to do it. You see so many different body types that have done it or are doing it, so there's no one way to keep a puck out of the net.

“So just be yourself and have fun doing it, and I think that's the best thing that you could do for yourself in between the pipes.”