Why are people (including Dobber) not as high on Levi as I am

[zambronies]

Wow….Cossa really? He’s garbage. Dostal and Tarasov are also no where’s near Levi.

I take Levi over Wolf and Kochetkov and maybe the other 2 aswell

D. Levi, is that you?

[jaywilly]

I could wax poetic about Devon Levi, but I'll spare everyone and try answer your question.

Levi doesn't get the respect he deserves (IMHO) because...

1. Levi hasn't been propped up as the next great goaltending talent from a young age (confirmation bias)
2. He doesn't meet the arbitrary height threshold of 6'2" (you must be listed this tall for some people to not doubt you)
3. He only has 7 pro games (too small of a sample for most.)
4. Some people are biased against college hockey players

IMO Levi's the best Sabres goalie under contract at the moment. I think it would be wise to let him get his feet wet in the A, but he's shown he can play at the NHL level. Once he gets used to the NHL game speed I think he'll be a very good goalie. Special talent.

EDIT: one more thing to add. Sometimes very smart people fail to see what's right in front of their faces. When a goalie shows you who they are, don't look for reasons to doubt them. Believe them.

[Pengwin7]

4. Some people are biased against college hockey players

I don't know anybody on the forums that is biased against college hockey players.
It's a smart thing to get a free education.

The OP thread is asking why some people aren't high on him.
Some of us have answers towards that.
It doesn't mean we don't like him.


For clarity, I'd have Levi about 4th among current goalie prospects...

For me:
1. Askarov (NAS)
2. Wallstedt (MIN)
3. Wolf (CGY) {if Kochetkov is considered a prospect... I'd have him here near Wolf.}
4. Levi (BUF)
...
[cliff]

What the other three guys have going for them is that they've proven their skill at the AHL level.
Levi simply hasn't done that yet.

Nobody is saying he won't be good.

Most of us are just responding to the OP on why there is some doubt.
The AHL is the basic NHL-stepping stone benchmark of "this guy looks bonafide good".
[That or 3 straight seasons of SHL or KHL men's league success.]


I think Levi will be good.
I also think it's fair for people to feel more confidence in Askarov, Wallstedt, and Wolf.

[I think the thread started from somebody thinking Dobber's Prospect Goalie rank of Levi at #9 was not "high" enough to call "high". I'd probably agree. I think Levi has better upside than Sogaard and UPL at this point. I can't say I'm fond of Tarasov's numbers to this point. What's "high" to one person isn't "high" to another. I held Sogaard and UPL for LONG periods of time in a keeper league and eventually let them both go to waivers based on poor AHL numbers. They didn't have poor numbers or scouting reports pre-AHL. THAT is the point that a lot of us are trying to make. Non-AHL numbers are often... not enough... not dependable.]


I think Levi will be good.
I also think it's fair for people to feel more confidence in Askarov, Wallstedt, and Wolf.

[chuckcouples]

I fully expect Levi to start the season in the AHL. He needs to play pro games and the Sabres have two pretty decent goalies already under contract in UPL and Comrie. Will Levi get NHL starts this season? Most likely but I doubt it will be more than a handful barring an exceptional training camp/preseason or start to his AHL season AND an injury to another of Buffalo's goalies. This could happen but I will not be drafting Levi in any one year league's this season. Dynasty/Keeper leagues is a bit different of a story but he's still behind at least a handful of goalies such as

Wallstedt
Wolf
Silovs
maybe even Brandon Bussi who will likely be the back up for a very good Bruins team this season once they trade Ullmark.

[jaywilly]

[QUOTE=Pengwin7;2243223]I don't know anybody on the forums that is biased against college hockey players.
It's a smart thing to get a free education.

Just saying some people are biased towards and agaisnt other leagues whether they realize or not. You for instance are knocking Levi's performance because it happened in a "very weak NCAA hockey East." The fact is he posted a save percentage that started with a .95 as a true freshman. Last one to do that was Hellebuyck, and the only other two to ever do it are Jimmy Howard and Ryan Miller. Pretty good company.

[Pengwin7]

Dryden McKay's SV% numbers from NCAA are right there with Devon Levi.
Talk about Dryden McKay for us.

Also - in 2021-22 TJ Semptimphelter put up a .934sv% in 8gp with Northeastern.
Talk about TJ Semptimphelter for us.

[rataylor22]

Just saying some people are biased towards and agaisnt other leagues whether they realize or not. You for instance are knocking Levi's performance because it happened in a "very weak NCAA hockey East." The fact is he posted a save percentage that started with a .95 as a true freshman. Last one to do that was Hellebuyck, and the only other two to ever do it are Jimmy Howard and Ryan Miller. Pretty good company.

Devon Levi.JPG

Something something when something is right in front of your face...

Anyways I personally wouldn't want to be holding up my argument with stats most recently from 2013-2014, but hey. Some people can only point out what they perceive to be others biases, and not recognize their own.

I, for example, could find a number of examples showing that a goalie that profiles like Levi statistically still probably ultimately has a better than 27% chance of being some type of regular NHL goalie. Hence why, despite this seemingly subpar probability, I would very generously rank him in the middle of the top 10 of prospect goalies. But a 0.942 in Hockey East and a 0.905 in 7 games in the NHL doesn't prove shit. Let me show you a list of goalies who are absolute nothing NHL players who put up a better than 0.905 Sv% over a random 7 game sample of NHL games.

[jaywilly]

You guys could be right. Personally, I would be shocked if Levi isn't a roaring success though. Don't really want to get into the weeds on this one bc it would turn into a dissertation. Maybe I'll make a blog post.

[Daydream Nation]

Wheeler had Levi ranked 3rd behind Wallstedt and Askarov.

[rataylor22]

Sent to the AHL.

Doesn't really mean anything for his long term outlook, but he clearly wasn't ready for a regularly starting NHL workload yet.

[Pengwin7]

^100% agree.

[jaywilly]

Yeah...don't blame the Sabres for giving him a shot. UPL's playing a lot better right now. Let him sort it out in the A ��

[Axeman33]

He needs to play and he's waiver exempt. No brainer, especially with UPL playing as well as he is.

[Daydream Nation]

Levi is on a heater now! 3-0-1 with a sub 2.00 GAA and a SV% .925+ with wins in Boston and Vegas since his return from the AHL. Is he up for good?

[Axeman33]

Levi is on a heater now! 3-0-1 with a sub 2.00 GAA and a SV% .925+ with wins in Boston and Vegas since his return from the AHL. Is he up for good?

He's up until he stalls again I'd say.