Buffalo Sabers goaltender Devon Levi was demoted to the American Hockey League's Rochester Americans after Monday's practice.
“We need to get him in games,” coach Lindy Ruff said. “It will be the best thing for him. »
Levi is 2-5-0 with a 3.95 goals-against average and a .870 save percentage in seven games (six starts). After allowing five goals total in his first two starts, he has allowed at least three goals in each of his four most recent starts.
Levi was relegated to the role of backup to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. He did not get a start for two weeks from October 17 to November 1 and made his first outing in 10 days when he replaced Luukkonen, who had been removed after two periods with a lower-body injury, during of the game against the Montreal Canadiens on November 11.
The Sabers claimed James Reimer off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks the next day.
At practice Monday, Levi shared reps with Reimer in one net, while Luukkonen had the other. Luukkonen will return to action against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday (10:30 p.m. ET; SN, FDSNW, MSG-B), after missing two games.
“We just had a good conversation with him,” Ruff said of Levi. “No one likes to go back to the American League, but they want to play. He told us that this is the first time he has been inactive for such a long time. It’s a learning experience, albeit a difficult one. »
Tage Thompson is close to returning after suffering a lower-body injury, but his status for Wednesday's game remains to be determined. The center, who leads Buffalo with 11 goals and 18 points in 16 games, participated in all of Monday's practice, skating in his usual spot on the top line.
He was injured against the Canadiens and missed two games. Ruff said the team will see how he feels Tuesday.
“I am in a situation where it is better to miss three or four games rather than playing despite the injury and making things worse, then missing 10 to 15 games,” underlined the main person concerned.
Alex Tuch did not train on Monday and is a questionable case for Wednesday's match. The forward, who is the Sabres' second-leading scorer with 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 18 games, was given the day off while dealing with a “little injury,” Ruff said.
The absence of Jordan Greenway, injured in the mid-body, will “probably be counted in weeks,” Ruff said. The striker, who was playing despite the injury, left training early on Friday, he did not play on Saturday and was still absent on Monday.
Due to these injuries, forward Isak Rosen was recalled from Rochester on Monday.
