There has been no official announcement, but Northeastern Hockey Blog reported that they’re hearing Devon Levi has told Northeastern that he is returning for his junior season.

Hearing Devon Levi has told Northeastern he will be returning to school next year.

— Northeastern Hockey Blog (@NUHockeyBlog) April 4, 2022

This appeared to be where things were trending at the end of last week when I started to hear chatter that he was leaning towards heading back to college.

The 20-year-old goaltender is coming off an incredible season in his first collegiate campaign with the Northeastern Huskies. He led the nation in save percentage with a .952 in 32 appearances and was second in shutouts with 10. He was named the Hockey East Goaltender of the Year and is likely the favorite for the Mike Richter Award for the best goaltender in men’s college hockey.

He’s such a fun player to watch. The Canadia-born keeper is on the shorter end when it comes to goaltenders at 6’0″, according to Northeastern’s website. While big goaltenders are the trend in the NHL, we’ve seen undersized goaltenders such as Juuse Saros have success at this level.

Levi has great quickness and athleticism which allows him to succeed at his size. He reads the play well and is always in control in his crease.

Devon Levi (#LetsGoBuffalo) makes a *huge* save to rob Ethen Frank (NCAA FA) of a sure goal in the first period. @GoNUmhockey

Early candidate for save of the NCAA tournament. pic.twitter.com/l0ZsODSBkB

— J.D. Burke (@JDylanBurke) March 25, 2022

Organizational Goaltending Landscape

Now that Levi is returning to school, the next question is what does this mean for the organization at the position moving forward?

He’ll likely come out after next season and begin his pro career with the Sabres. There has been no indication to this point that he won’t sign with the club. So, don’t fret about him returning to school and heading to free agency.

Where things will get interesting is with the organization’s other top goaltender, Erik Portillo. It seems that he can become a free agent after next since he was drafted in 2019. If he goes back for his junior and senior season, I’m under the impression the Sabres hold his rights. However, if he goes back to school next year and decides to leave college, he can become a free agent after next season. The CBA is a confusing document, but I believe this to be the case.

That would put a priority on getting Portillo to come out this year and get him in the AHL next season. Then Levi can begin his pro career in 2023.

The University of Michigan has its national semi-finals game against the University of Denver on Thursday, April 7th. If they win that game, they’ll play for the National Championship on April 9th. Therefore, we won’t have an answer on Portillo for a few weeks.

Photo Credit: Jim Pierce/Northeastern Huskies