Sabres recall Tyson Kozak, reassign Devon Levi to AHL

The Buffalo Sabres have swapped two frequent-movers between their NHL and AHL lineups, recalling winger Tyson Kozak to the majors and assigning goaltender Devon Levi back to the minors.

This move comes in response to Sabres starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen returning to full health after missing the teams Monday game with an undisclosed injury.

Luukkonen will start in net when Buffalo faces Vancouver on Tuesday, head coach Lindy Ruff told Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News .

Levi started in Buffalos Monday loss to the Seattle Kraken.

He allowed five goals on 33 shots, bringing his season statline to a 2-7-0 record, .872 save percentage, and 4.12 goals-against-average in nine appearances.

Hes been much more effective with the AHLs Rochester Americans, where hes served as the teams starter.

Levi has posted a defiant 12-3-2 record and .913 save percentage in 17 games with Rochester, making him the teams only goaltender with more than 10 wins and a save percentage north of .900.

He briefly matched that success in the first seven games of his NHL career, back in 2022-23, when Levi managed a 5-2-0 record and .905 save percentage through matchups that included four playoff teams.

This move will return Levi to his post looking over Rochester, and give him another chance to prove his consistency to the Sabres brass.

Meanwhile, Kozak will return to Buffalos roster after being assigned to the minors before Mondays game.

The Sabres activated forward Jiri Kulich from injured reserve in a corresponding move.

Kulich returned from a four-game absence on Monday, and even earned a top-line role with fellow center Ryan McLeod inactive due to an upper-body injury.

Buffalo winger Jordan Greenway is also out with injury, though the team hasnt yet disclosed any specifics.

Even with those absences, Kozak is likely to serve as the 13th forward in Tuesdays matchup.

He will however be a quick fill-in if the Sabres experience any further injuries or cold streaks, giving Kozak a chance to break his own cold spell after recording no scoring and just two shots through his last four NHL appearances.

He has one goal in seven NHL games the first of his career this season.

This article first appeared on Pro Hockey Rumors and was syndicated with permission..

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