The Prospects of Saber How Devon learned to accept the AHL: “This is where I need to be”

Rochester, NY – Devon Levi came to the drive from Buffalo to Rochester.

Levitra still stayed in Buffalo after the NHL season started and spent weeks at a hotel in Rochester. Saber first sent their top goalkeeper prospects to the AHL in mid-November. He was recalled in mid-December one game against Toronto and another in Seattle in January, but otherwise he was in the AHL. He returned to Buffalo on his days off to catch up on housework and relax. He then returned to the car early in the morning to participate in his first practice of the week.

“It’s super meditation,” Levi said after Amerks practice earlier this week. “It’s an hour and 15 minutes, and I’m a little alone. I can’t see the electronics. You’re on the road, and it’s an opportunity to get along with your ideas, clear your mind, see what’s going on inside, board the plane, and put down some podcasts or something.”

Typically, Levi’s preferred podcast is the Huberman lab of Stanford neuroscientist and tenured professor Andrew Huberman, who hosts a popular podcast that explores science-based tools to improve mental and physical well-being. Levi loves to understand his body and mind. He meditates and journals. He spoke with a sports psychologist. He asked Chatgpt’s question. He learned the importance of “working out” rather than letting his thoughts and feelings fester. He also read a lot about the connections of thinking. He is currently reading Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power Now”.

This is a suitable book for Li Wei’s current situation. “A deeper understanding of the current moment is what you have,” Thor wrote in the book. “Make the present a major focus of life.”

Levi did this in Rochester this season. It’s something he has to learn since he signed into college two years ago.

In the spring of 2023, Levi signed with Saber after an outstanding college career in the Northeast. He jumped into the NHL immediately, scoring 5-2 in seven games with an average of 2.94 goals and a 0.905 savings percentage. That’s enough to convince Saber General Manager Kevyn Adams, who should be the starting goalkeeper for the team to start the next season.

But Levi tried to repeat what he had done in the spring. He was injured. Eventually, Saber sent him to the AHL for the first time. At that time, Levi did not let AHL enter his thinking process. He is ready to develop at the highest level. He knows goalkeepers have traditionally spent some time in minor leagues, but he accepts the challenge of trying to stop the trend. He hopes that his job at AHL will be short.

“I think there are always those things in your head and dogs, no matter what you are in humanity,” Levi said. “It doesn’t mean you have to chase them and think about them all day long. The ball bounces the way it wants, you have to wave your fists. You spend more time thinking about different realities that aren’t right, and you feel more and more loss emotionally and mentally. For me, I was in that moment and the moment I fell in love with me. At the skating rink in Rochester.

Last season, Levi finally played 23 NHL games and 26 AHL games. He completed the AHL season with a savings percentage of 0.927 and an average of 2.42 goals. He found confidence again. When Levi scored three NHL games in March 2024, he averaged 1.78 goals and a .947 percent savings.

But when Saber gave up James Reimer this fall to keep Levi on the NHL roster, he couldn’t find the rhythm. He played three games in October with a savings percentage of 0.872 before scoring a savings percentage of 0.867 in four appearances in November before sending it back to the AHL shortly after Sabers took back Reimer.

This season, Levi has 37 AHL games and only 9 NHL games. He spent this season trying to lock in his ice and ice routine so that the same game can be felt in every game. He noticed that in the NHL, the feeling of consistency is a challenge. He felt locked in the part that played this position. He led the AHL with six closings. Amerks are second in the North District and have already won the playoffs.

“Since I first met Dev, he’s all won when he first came here,” said Amerks coach Mike Leone. “What’s important to him is to win.”

Leone firmly believes that when a player wins, it grows the fastest. His focus in Rochester has been on winning as many victories as possible so young players can understand the feeling. This is probably the biggest benefit of Levi’s spending most of the seasons with this Amerks team.

The last two seasons have been a hindrance to the Saber. They did not perform well last season and this season was even worse. Levi had part of his work there, but he won the game for most of the season.

“When you get rewarded for your hard work, it builds confidence and character,” Levi said. “It helps you figure out your path, ‘How do I help the team win?’ There is a difference between performing well and playing hockey.”

Leon also matches the goalkeeper’s development model. He noted that Dustin Wolf could get a vote for Calder for his outstanding rookie season, who played 155 games in the AHL before making it the starter of Calgary this season. Playing and winning – For young players, especially goalkeepers, a lot of things are important. Leone likes the way Levi competes in the rhythmic practice of Amerks, which is not easy on goalkeepers.

“You can play against goalkeepers like this,” he said.

That is Li Wei’s only focus now. He is not worried about when he will return to the NHL or what will happen next year. He has developed a close relationship with Rochester’s teammates over the past two seasons. This made him want to win more victories. He sees a team willing to sacrifice for each other and do everything possible to win.

“I’m excited for this test,” Levi said of the upcoming AHL playoffs. “I can’t wait.

Whenever the run ends, Levi’s mind turns to the next season. The goalkeeper situation of the Saber is not as clear as this time last season. After the breakout season, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen took a step back in the first year of his five-year contract, paying him $4.75 million a year. Reimer has recently scored most of the starts and performed well. But he is 37 years old and is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Saber has not ruled out that Levi returns to the AHL next season, but that may depend on what happens at that position this summer. The saber can be brought back to Reimer or try to find another capable veteran to pair with Luukkonen. They can also string dice with young Luukkonen and Levi, but even the plan requires a backup option. It doesn’t matter if the team doesn’t play more consistently. Because he did not participate in 60 NHL games, Levi could go to the AHL without giving up.

Then there is the tissue depth map of that location. Topias Leinonen and Scott Ratzlaff both have entry-level contracts and require next season’s game. They can divide development minutes between the AHL and the ECHL, or Saber can lend Lenonen to a team in Europe if the right situation is found. If Levi returns to Rochester, he will get most of the development time in the AHL.

These are future issues. Perhaps Levi’s mind occasionally wandered as he stared at the windshield from Buffalo to Rochester, a 15-minute drive away. But he didn’t want his mind to be caught between two places.

“As a competitor, I want to play in the best league in the world,” Levi said. “But the reason I play hockey is that I love playing and I love playing games. I do that here. I will get better, get better when doing this. That’s what I asked for.

(Photo: Kyle Ross/Imagn Image)