Flyers Trade Target: Devon Levi

Among the top priorities for the Philadelphia Flyers this offseason is going to be finding a competent complement to starting goalie Dan Vladar.

The book is not necessarily closed on incumbent backup goalie Sam Ersson, who is a pending RFA in need of a new contract, but his performances and consistency have only gotten progressively worse during his three years in the NHL with the Flyers.

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So, if the Flyers move on from Ersson and let him pursue other opportunities elsewhere, they have two options: sign a goalie from an underwhelming crop of free agents, or trade for one.

Their best choice, for all intents and purposes, is going to be the latter.

One of the first places the Flyers should consider looking is, perhaps surprisingly, Buffalo, where the Sabres have four goalies who could conceivably be NHL regulars, all of whom are under contract for next season.

Established veterans Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon lead the way there, and Colten Ellis, a waiver claim from the St. Louis Blues, made his NHL debut this season, going 8-4-2 in 12 games for the Sabres with a 2.90 GAA, a .903 save percentage, and one shutout.

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And then there’s Devon Levi, the critically acclaimed but undersized goalie prospect who has yet to gain a foothold on an NHL roster spot for an extended period of time.

The 24-year-old has played 39 NHL games across three seasons, going a modest 17-17-2 with a 3.29 GAA and .894 save percentage.

Comparatively, Ersson, 26, has a 3.01 GAA and a .884 save percentage to go with his 65-50-17 career record.

It’s worth noting, too, that Levi’s numbers are dragged down by a nine-game stint last season that saw him go 2-7-0 with a 4.12 GAA and .872 save percentage.

And, in fairness to Levi, the Sabres were never particularly good during his time in the NHL and only had things click this season after general manager Kevyn Adams was fired and replaced by Jarmo Kekalainen.

Dan Vladar’s Next Flyers Contract Should Exceed $20 Million Recent precedent suggests the Philadelphia Flyers will have to break the bank to extend starting goalie Dan Vladar.

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So, heading into his age-25 season, Levi has no path to a roster spot in Buffalo despite having already played 175 professional games in the Sabres organization.

This is where the Flyers step in.

Behind Vladar, the Flyers currently have Aleksei Kolosov, who recently re-signed with the club for one year, and Carson Bjarnason.

It’s possible that Kolosov could step in and play a full NHL season as a backup, but the idea of him taking over as the starter in the event of an injury to Vladar is a rather uncomfortable one.

Bjarnason, of course, is still just 20 years old and finished his first professional season, which came with an ECHL stint with the Reading Royals.

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Longtime NHL media maven Jeff Marek recently claimed that things are “over” between Levi and the Sabres, so, all things considered, a huge opportunity would be waiting for him in Philadelphia.

The price to acquire the goalie prospect can’t be that high, given that the Sabres have no leverage with three goalies clearly ahead of him in the pecking order, and Levi comes with only a one-year commitment at an $812.5k cap hit if things don’t work out.

Plus, the Flyers could always insure themselves with lower-tier free agent options with experience, such as Matt Murray, Vitek Vanecek, and even old friend Cam Talbot, heading into training camp and the preseason.

If things really do work out for the Flyers and the franchise finally catches a break, Levi will have realized his potential as a starting-caliber NHL goalie, which would help form a robust tandem with Vladar.

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The time is now for Levi, who is running out of runway to crack an NHL roster after a promising start to his pro career.

We can be certain that the 24-year-old will be extra motivated heading into a contract year after being cast aside, and the Flyers have had great success targeting such players in the recent past, including Vladar himself.