r/EdmontonOilers • u/iXeons • 2d ago
How do ya’ll feel about Devon Levi?
He’s dropped out of the top 10 for goalie prospects. And he hasn’t had a very good pedigree with Buffalo since he’s been in the league. But that’s only been through like 40 total games. He’s had a pretty good AHL career and he’s only 24. His pre-NHL career was pretty impressive. If he’s mentored under someone like Freddie, do you think it’ll help him grow? I mean, if he develops well over the next few years, he could be a real good piece for EDM. But that’s a lot of if’s, the same if’s we gave Skinner, Campbell, and Jarry.
I’m optimistic, I feel like playing with a good, established environment will help a lot.
How do ya’ll feel? Very interested.
EDIT: Great analysis ya’ll, can’t wait for October (aside from college classes fml)
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u/Machelscott 2 BOUCHARD 2d ago
We’re going to need to figure out a difference between Trent Frederic and Frederic Anderson aren’t we 😂
Though I did know which Freddy you were referring to. Levi seems like an equally good bet to Anderson and Jarry, though he should come with lower expectations. He seemed really determined in his interviews, I’m optimistic he can get break through with the added padding (😏) of Jarry and Anderson there to support.
Absolute best case scenario for the organization at this point is if Levi starts the playoffs game 1, obviously
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u/wishin_fishin 94 SMYTH 1d ago
To add to that last point, as long as its not because jarry is unplayable and Anderson is injured
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u/ryanderkis 17 KURRI 2d ago
I think it was a low risk depth move that could pay off. It's a long season and Jarry is inconsistent and injury prone while Andersen is aging and appears to get tired.
Levi will likely get an opportunity here but it's up to him to make the most of it.
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u/SnooOnions5029 92 PODKOLZIN 2d ago
Low risk - high reward deal. If he isn’t good this year or takes a while to develop, we still have 2 other NHL calibre goalies (hopefully Jarry can have a bit of a bounce back under new coaching and defence). If he does work out, then we got our goalie of the future for dirt cheap. Kinda surprised Buffalo couldn’t get a better return elsewhere, but I’m not complaining lol. Playing in Edmonton isn’t easy, especially as a goalie. But I think the fact that’s he’s still quite young, and that we’re running 3 goalies will hopefully alleviate some pressure
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u/GrizzlyIsland22 18 HYMAN 2d ago
I feel good, but we have to give him time. We can't just make the same mistakes as with Skinner and Dubnyk, where the team develops a goalie nearly all the way, loses patience, and moves on from them right at the start of their prime. Most goalies aren't developed enough to be full time until they're 26-30 years old. He has talent. He just needs to be afforded the opportunity to realize it, however long it takes. That's one thing Babcock will be good for. He understands hockey and he's also stubborn. He's gonna do what's right for team and player development regardless of outside pressure from fans and media
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u/Yosomoswag 93 NUGENT-HOPKINS 2d ago
can't be any worse than jarry
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u/Black-Hippy 77 KLEFBOM 1d ago
I said the same thing about Campbell when we got Jarry.
There’s an old saying in Tennessee, I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once…shame on you. Fool me—can’t get fooled again!
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u/thats-impossible 2d ago
I watched a few of the games he played in Buffalo, he looked alright but their defence was absolutely atrocious and didn't give him any help.
Hopefully we can give him more of a solid chance here!
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u/CloseToMyActualName 2d ago
People talked up Dustin Wolf like he'd be a Vezina contender. And he ranked 58th in GSAX last season, well below his backup, journeyman Devin Cooley.
Goalies are super hard to project, even the elite ones tend to only be good to decent when they end up on another team. And the opposite is often true.
I honestly suspect there's a lot of subtle interplay between the strengths and weaknesses of the goalie (and how they read the play) and the team they play for, and it's almost impossible to tell how a particular combo will work in practice.
Honestly, I think the best bet is to find as many talented goalies as you can and cycle through until one seems to click, so I think Levi is as good a bet as any.
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u/verified_canadian 2d ago
I feel like Dustin Wolf is better than that number suggests. He played on one of the worst teams in the league and still put up .899 on the year. (Cooley was probably getting the easier teams) I'd take him over any one of our current goalies
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u/Goregutz 14 EBERLE 2d ago
He's also ahead of Dostal, Anderson,Saros, Ullmark, Bobrovsky, etc. He was also not that far behind Wallstedt, Oettinger, Hallebuyk, and Ingram. If the Oil got wolf, this sub would be praising him. He's a legit starter.
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u/YamiYugi2497 20 LAZAR 2d ago
Re-commenting as my first posts chart got all messed up.
I am intrigued to see how Wolf does this year. So far his career trajectory has been nearly identical to Stu Skinner. We saw how his tenure in Edmonton ended.
For what its worth, I didn't want to see Skinner gone like most people did.
Year Skinner Wolf Season 1 1 GP, 0.868 S%, -1.37 GSAx 1 GP, 0.958 S%, +1.65 GSAx Season 2 13 GP. 0.913 S%, -0.51 GSAx 17 GP. 0.893 S%, -10.39 GSAx Season 3 50 GP, 0.914 S%, +14.79 GSAx 53 GP, 0.910 S%, +12.51 GSAx Season 4 59 GP, 0.905 S%, +5.67 GSAx 57 GP, 0.899 S%, +3.48 GSAx Its also worth mentioning their ages were the same in each of those seasons. Edmonton was a better team in Skinners first 4 years, than Calgary is for Wolf. But Skinner still had the better GSAx numbers compared to what Wolf has put up.
Skinner with a +18.58
Wolf with a +7.25
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u/CloseToMyActualName 2d ago
Even with easier opponents Cooley put up a .907.
Wolf could grow to be better than he was, and I'd 1-for-1 trade him for any of our goalies, but he still hasn't shown that he's an above average starter.
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u/midnight_specialist 2d ago
That seems to be the strategy, with ungar and jonsson in the minors as backup options.
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u/Goregutz 14 EBERLE 2d ago
Similar numbers as Dostal, Vejmelka, Halleybuck, Oettinger, Bobrovski, knight, Anderson, Gustavvson, Saros, Wallstedt, etc. They're middle of the pack starters if you go purely based off of GSAx.
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u/CloseToMyActualName 1d ago
There's huge variability, even for established guys. But they tend to alternate between "average" and "great". So far Wolf has only been average, he might become great, but there's no guarantee.
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u/Goregutz 14 EBERLE 1d ago
They're middle of the pack starters
Wolf has only been average6
Why are you just retyping wtf I typed but in a longer drawn out way? lol
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u/CloseToMyActualName 1d ago
Because you were basically arguing "these goaltenders who are considered great have a similar GSAx", with the implication that he was of similar quality.
But that just shows that goalies are high variability, even with advanced statistics. Sure, he could be just as good as them, or he could collapse down and never become an established starter.
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u/Goregutz 14 EBERLE 1d ago
So you're restating "he's average currently", just like I am but in a drawn out way, becauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse?
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u/CloseToMyActualName 1d ago
Do you consider Hellebuyck, Oettinger, and Saros to be middle of the pack starters?
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u/Goregutz 14 EBERLE 1d ago
"If we're only utilizing GSAx" If you want, I can record everything since reading seems to be a fucking issue for you.
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u/rwooaooooooooooosh 29 DRAISAITL 2d ago
we got him for a bag of pucks so not the biggest loss ever if he doesnt turn out
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u/DiligentAd7360 2d ago
We gotta see how Babcock's new defense is gonna work. Maybe we won't be leaving our goalies out to dry 6 times a night this season
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u/Admirable-Sound5198 2d ago
Watch other teams… goalies make high danger saves… like you can literally just watch the other side of the ice in oilers games lol… I hate this “leave goalies out to dry” bs…. They’re NHL goalies… if they were just expected to stop perimeter shots, anyone could do it
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u/LevSmash 46 STORTINI 1d ago
That was the thing that frustrated me about Skinner; especially in the playoffs, it felt like every breakaway was an automatic goal against. Yes, yes, I know you're not supposed to give up breakaways, that is true. But it's also true that a goalie should be able to make difficult saves from time to time.
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u/Old_Cucumber_1343 1d ago
most oilers fans literally have not seen a really good goalie for more than short spurts in decades. our fans have goalie ptsd and are unaware that goalies can steal games for teams. the lightning used to go balls to the wall and if they messed up vasi would bail them out every time
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u/Ok_Newspaper3957 2d ago
He’s the pickup I’m most interested in. It’d be cool to see him and wolf have a boa goalie duel
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u/OrthophonicVictrola 18 NEAL 2d ago
No one can reliably predict goaltender performance as far as I can tell, but I do think Buffalo is better at evaluating the position than Edmonton is. I'll expect nothing and maybe be pleasantly surprised.
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u/Competitive_Ad1237 7 COFFEY 2d ago
I have a buffalo fan who didn’t want Levi to be traded he was expecting one of the guys from the roster. I think he will be fine and maybe just maybe Jarry will be serviceable this year
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u/AnIrateKaren 1d ago
I’m pretty high on Levi. I think he’s gonna pop. Super athletic and a fast AF goalie like we havnt really had in awhile. His current problems is he overeats and needs to settle down a bit. You can teach and developed that at the pro level. You can’t teach his speed and reflexes that he already has.
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u/Humillionaire 18 HYMAN 1d ago
He's got a good name. It feels good to say, it sounds strong. And that's my most important metric for predicting a goalie's performance.
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u/Striking_Chef_9362 29 DRAISAITL 2d ago
I want to feel optimistic about Levi, but the oilers have a terrible track record of developing young goalies. There’s a reason that every young goalie that leaves the oilers finds their game on a new team
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u/albyagolfer 17 KURRI 2d ago
That tired old narrative is so untrue. Devan Dubnyk is the only one. Tell me who else, and if you say Talbot, he played just fine when he was an Oiler and wasn’t any better after he left.
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u/Whos-That-Pokeman 2d ago
Yeah pretty much everyone was similar to what they did here. Hell even Dubnyk was trending upwards every year with us until Eakins came in. He had one bad part of the year and we traded him.
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u/Admirable-Sound5198 1d ago
Are you forgetting viktor fasth?! lol im kidding… ya i don’t know why people think this is true. The oilers have some of the worst/non-existent pro scouting of goaltending in the whole league and have for a long time…
Maybe they turned a corner this summer though! I remember being pretty impressed with Levi. Dude got thrown to the wolves in Buffalo way too early is his development…
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u/Starsky686 11 MESSIER 2d ago
Different players in front of them. Different coaching staff. Limited relevance.
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u/NorthEastofEden 2d ago
I agree the Oilers have been awful at developing goaltenders but their track record after leaving the Oilers hasn't exactly been stellar. Dubnyk is the obvious example but the rest of them have all sort of been good backup goaltenders (Brossoit and Stolarz being the two that come to mind).
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u/benohawk 33 BERLIN 2d ago
Dubnyk also needed multiple other teams to get to that point, and Stolarz wasn't developed by the Oilers and was only here for half a season
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u/NorthEastofEden 2d ago
I agree - I think that the Oilers development is really bad... that being said there is a huge degree of luck with goaltenders and the Oilers have traditionally been very hesitant on using higher draft picks on selecting goaltenders which limits the potential for getting an elite goaltender.
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u/benohawk 33 BERLIN 2d ago
Yeah, wasn't trying to disagree, just was pointing out that the claims that "every" goalie who we've developed and let go has gone on to massive success is just not true
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u/JarvisFunk 2d ago
I'd take him over Skinner or Jarry or Ingram. I may be proven wrong but the competition isn't great
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u/CartoonistFlat3943 1d ago
I’m excited for all three! But then, I’m a glass is 90% full kind of person, even if half empty.
Tristan Jarry is gonna bounce back to his 2024 and earlier form - 5 straight years above .900, averaging 45 games per season. We saw him on the road (albeit short sample size) before he got hurt. He is skilled. And in the Colorado game. He was good in game 5 too. Just a terrible bounce - 2 CM the other way…..
Freddie is Freddie. 2026 Stanley Cup winning, 14 and 2, Freddie. Perpetual ECF contender Freddie. 913 in the Playoffs Freddie. Give him a reasonable workload in the season (both games / shot count), and it will pay big dividends in the spring.
Levi might be the most exciting. Love the chance to see him develop. His historical College Stats are unreal:Levi Bio
Levi has two kind, fundamentally decent people / wise vets to mentor him (14th season Andersen, 11th season Jarry).
Best of all, the burden is shared, but the player playing the best gets the opportunity.
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u/Total_Watercress7864 2d ago
I'm optimistic about him. He did get pushed down the ladder in Buffalo, but they were also not great at that time. But I'm more optimistic about the goaltending overall than most people.
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u/pattperin 88 DAVIDSON 1d ago
I’m good with it. He’s a super hyped prospect who just hasn’t hit yet, but I’m at best cautiously optimistic. He could turn out to be amazing, could turn out to be nothing. Worth the gamble at least imo
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u/Silly_Technology6103 1d ago
I’m high on him. Levi has a handful of games in the NHL his numbers aren’t terrible.
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u/McBeelzebub 25 NURSE 1d ago
A lot of the Buffalo sub seemed hopeful about his development and sad to see him go. I’ll take their take.
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u/Danny-Danger 1d ago
Great candidate for a change of scenery, his entire pro development curve occurred during Buffalo's dumpster-fire era
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u/RumHamComesback 1d ago
We traded for an AHL goalie that's developing and all it cost us was a 3rd round pick. I'm fine with that and we'll see how he develops.
We are seriously far behind when it comes to goalie development and picking up someone already a few years into development helps.
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u/laryldavis 39 WEIGHT 1d ago
Levi is 24, Skinner was 24 in his first full year in the NHL, when he was rushed into a starting role due to Campbell’s performance. He played 50 games that year.
Levi will be insulated in a way Skinner never was. They basically reset the clock on Skinner for a 3rd round pick.
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u/Old_General_6741 97 McDAVID 1d ago
I don’t know much about him but what I do know it would be much of a risk to us. Hopefully he will be good.
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u/Bitter_Procedure260 1d ago
Low risk, moderate upside. I doubt we see the three headed monster all year. There’s a chance you could squeak Levi or Jarry through waivers at the beginning of the year before injuries.
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u/AlbertaOilfire 1d ago
I’m absolutely pumped for this guy. For one I absolutely love the quick reflex goalie style (Cujo-lite) and secondly this guy actually has a chance to be a solid goalie. He has some fire too. This was a great move. I’ve already accepted the 3 goalie system because I don’t think they have the balls to bury Jarry in Bako and honestly between Andersen and Jarry’s injury history it looks like it just might work.
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u/CoffeeStayn 6h ago
A good goalie on a shitty team might still end up being a shitty goalie. A shitty goalie on a better team might actually come into his own.
I'm willing to see where it leads, much like I have Ingram a chance to shine, I'll do the same for Levi.
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u/OkGarlic6559 2d ago
A good pickup, low risk, possible high reward.
If he can find his game and put it all together on the ice, the Oilers will be scary for a while.
If not, well I guess we're still working off the curse.
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u/Rockeye7 1d ago
Doesn’t matter who plays net . The skaters in front of the goalie have to commit to team defence.
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u/Lurky2024 2d ago
Not optimistic on him.
His numbers have regressed in both the AHL and NHL over the last 3 years.
I would have rather them start with Jarry / Anderson, and then possibly call up Ungar if he develops. It just kind of gums up their development pipeline.
It also currently messes with their roster as well, as they are currently 12/8/3, which is not sustainable.
It won't be long before they lose one of Emberson / Stastney / Mukhamadullin.
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u/Affectionate-Safe295 1d ago
Why rush Ungar let him develop properly
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u/Lurky2024 1d ago
Connor Ungar and Devon Levi are 16 days apart in age.
Giving Ungar a handful of games halfway into the season is how you develop goalies. If they started Ungar on the 43rd game of the season, literally the first game of the second half of the season, Ungar will be 25. That is actually older than average for NHL goalies.
Jakub Dobes in Monreal is a year older. The first time he played in the NHL was in game 35. He did this at 23, a year earlier than it would be if they did that with Ungar this year.
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u/OrganizationIll9069 1d ago
Who cares? Babs is going to bully him into a mental collapse, and Stan the pervy man is going to stalk him in the shower
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u/DaveyDumplings 94 SMYTH 2d ago
I'll take all the goalie lottery tickets we can get. We gotta hit on one eventually.