“We Want Him to Continue to Develop” | Don Granato on Devon Levi

“We Want Him to Continue to Develop” | Don Granato on Devon Levi

What is the latest with Eric Johnson and SK Eric had a rehab skate today and is still sore uh Skinner went full go in practice and I’ll find out exactly uh what that means it uh it is definitely good he went through practice very well and would expect them very very soon if

Not tomorrow gon go on a trip with you guys uh not determined yet but uh the plan is that he is so unless that’s you unless we discuss something different now after the skate which I haven’t uh the plan was to have on the trip went to Rochester uh what do you do

Do you plan to maybe use him this week now yeah uh we play a back toback so there’s a good chance uh that he’ll get one of those two games so yes just that decision obviously he hadn’t played in a while he wanted to get him a game just

Can you just explain the decision I guess yeah well just what you said he hadn’t played in a while and uh to get him obviously Chester has a resource we’ve talked about um good for him to get a game in the event he does play in

One of the one of the two back toback we have coming up he’s he’s you know he’s been in the net recently so that’s a positive in what ways have you seen Casey take another step this season you know particularly at five on five I know this dates really to just about 13

Months ago but it just seems like the consistency he’s just taken that next step you know I mean this has been a progression for him in lots of work um for lots of years really um coming to the Forefront but you know what underlines it um other than the work is

Compete he is a ultra competitive person and uh very very driven uh to succeed and you know he is he is in the moment the moment Matt you know there is no uh you know darn it I missed it I’ll get it tomorrow it’s he is very dissatisfied if

He doesn’t get it it now uh in every Puck every Puck battle every shot every play um and you know when I think of all the great players I’ve ever been around and watched uh one separating factor is the moment matters Mo most to those guys

You know there is no tomorrow there is no waiting it’s I want to make a difference now and uh Casey has that and that’s been a driver for his versatility the skill set the consistency what does that do for you as a coach when when it comes to building a lineup because

You’ve been able to move him around to help other guys and he just seems like he’s just been that sort of versatile piece you been able you know he he’s been he’s been shifted around not because you know we don’t know where to put him he’s been shifted around because

We need him here we need him there we need him there and and uh and that’s why he’s been shifted um you know there’s there’s been an identity between from if we talk about line combinations there’s an ident there’s been an identity with tuck tuck Thomson Skinner line uh for a

Couple years now and and obviously the cousins PKA and Quinn line and and you know unfortunately that hasn’t happened yet for for middlestead uh with a line with a trio and a combination and you know in the process for me I know I have a guy that’s uh um you know obviously as

Talented as he had statistically that speaks for speaks for itself what he’s done in comparison to elite players in the league um so you know within games and within situations I just shift him where where I felt you know we need a nudge uh and he’s been pretty reliable

In that regard J what’s driving his breakthrough as far as production and where do you see the trajectory with this guy he’s only 22 yeah he’s he’s still very young even you know young at heart young in spirit he’s he’s um so you know every day you see him mature as

A person uh more and more um but situational awareness is so much better than a season ago for him him he’s recognizing situations um you know I think he’s he’s he’s learning the other side of the game other than offense which is going to get him more offense I mean the less you

Spend defending or in the defensive side of the game the more you’re going to have the puck the more you’re going to be on offense and I think he’s made uh really significant strides in that regard um you know I don’t think his confidence is at Peak right now um you

Know as a as a goal scorer and I think that’s uh you know um the POS positive side of that is it’s driving him you know it’s driving his appetite more and more and um but again he’s he’s a young guy going through ups and downs but uh definitely building a foundation better

And stronger every day as far as defending and of course uku also you’ve only given up three goals in four games plus one empty matter I mean but yet you only one two of those four games is it almost shocking that you defend that well and

Get that good goal tending and you can only get two wins out of those four yeah it’s disappointing obviously um to to be 500 and you give up you know three goals like you said the fourth being an empty Netter um but three goals in four games it’s crazy um especially when you

Consider our team but you know once again this this is we haven’t made system changes here we’ve emphasized different things but the system is still the same so when you’re emphasizing you know concentrate dedicate your focus and concentration here more it’s it demands their focus it’s it’s it’s not innate it’s not

Instinctive yet as we just talk about JJ defending is not instinctive for for for goal scorers and for players but so you’ve got to go through a process unfortunately that’s a conscious process and sometimes when you go through that it demands all your attention because it’s a conscious process

That you know you miss the chance the other way or the opportunity the other way and um you know it it um you know in the long run it it it’s a necessity uh for us to to to have a different shift our Focus to defending better um we

Certainly get pucks back quicker um but uh you know we haven’t to this point converted like we believe we can like we have seen us do and you know I’ve mentioned you know too many times that little bit of Mojo that little bit of confidence um is is what we seem to miss

Um you know we identify with more with obviously how to defend and how to do that well um is that preoccupying us could be but uh this is a process that uh we absolutely need to go through and um you know but it is disappointing to not win games when you’re giving giving

Up as few as we’ve given up with the with the schedule the way it’s been with the weather and and all those interruptions and everything how how difficult has that made it for for Devon to be able to stay in a flow as a young guy learning the league and and trying

To stay consistent yeah I mean the schedule the with last week was like I mentioned it felt like covid you know with game cancellations and you’re sitting at Bay waiting and uh but you know you move on the next day quick so that seems like it

Was a long time ago actually um now um but uh yeah I think Devon keeps himself ready like I said Rochester you know him going to Rochester for for a game what a great resource to be able to do that um so I think he’s he’s where he needs to be you know

Um enough enough rest obviously and work uh the combination and I think he’s ready to go one call one to be called upon is that kind of I it hasn’t really interrupted a lot of like the game schedule for him but for the amount of starts that you that you want to give

Him and for a guy his age that in this position has that has any of that kind of gotten in the way or is it just this is part of the process yeah you know even when you’re not I mean if you got if you got every

Start you’d say oh my God compared to college hockey this guy’s gonna wear out and and you know so if you give him what whatever you do because he’s a young player there’s going to be oh what would the alternative do it’s just that’s that’s the way life is it’s the way

That’s the way it is so you just have to make best every you have to make sure every day you’re making best of what’s in running what you have whether that’s a practice or a game or uh dealing with an injury or dealing with this adversity or that challenge like it’s it’s

All uh gaining experience uh so I don’t feel you know you you can draw up a plan for any player and team but once the season starts it’s a plan you drew up it’s you got to read and react in the moment because it’s so dynamic as you’re

Referring to um but I think he you know in the process with Deon we want to make make sure he keeps developing and I think we’ve used different resources to make sure he’s developing and sometimes that resources rest um but I I think he’s he’s gained for every day he’s been

Here he’s he’s made himself better some way or another is how I look at it mentioned after the game on Saturday that guys going to the net is a a character trait that some guys have I’m curious in your experience if you think that’s a trait guys can develop once

They’re at this level it is uh they every guy comes in especially goal scorers and they have in their mind how they scored goals and maybe it was this specific spot on a power play and they remember and or this this and they go to those areas and um yeah that’s one way

To score but if you want to score more there’s different ways to score to add those to your game and and you know that that is a a process that’s an that’s an evolution um but you know as I mentioned there are certain guys that just you

Know innately this is where I score goals off my shin pad off my skate off my elbow I just go to the net that’s where I score goals and you see that style of player in in the league and you know other guys you see score different

Ways but you will definitely add to your gold production going to the net I also mentioned the other night I’m certain of it that you know you do have to play on the perimeter know how to play on the perimeter you also know how to get have

To get off the perimeter and to the inside it’s a lot of timing uh when it comes to goal scoring um you know there’s not much today of there there’s much more flash screens and and different types of rebounds than there was 15 years ago in the league you just

See it all over the league so um the speed of the game the way the game’s changed um the way penalties are called you know net fronts and stuff like that just different so uh yeah I think every player has to figure out ways to add to

Their game and um all our guys are they no different I asked you about the other day and you mentioned the plateau I mean what is the next level for him when he gets off that Plateau I mean we’ve seen obviously he can be his offensive you

Know smarts and that that sense a lot most guys don’t have I me I guess what is the next step for him I guess yeah I think more strength physical strength and just you know just growing and developing strength because he he you know when he can buy himself extra

Second through a battle uh Lanes start opening up and that’s one area um I think you know overall just situational knowledge situational awareness as he goes through a situation uh you know sometimes a player doesn’t realize that that’s the same situation it’s a pattern situation it’s happened a thousand times

In your career just wait half a second here and that seam will open up or this will open up or this option will come and I think he’s he’s got he’s come a long ways on that situational awareness just this year Alone um and I think he’ll you know you’ll see his confidence

Grow significantly with that but I think for him you know he he’s that physical strength to be able to hold a guy for half a second or fight through a battle half a second he’s he’s he’s willing to there’s no question he’s a competitive competitive guy but I think that’s an

Area that you will see growth in him in his game

Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato speaks to the media after practice and gives an injury update on Erik Johnson and Jeff Skinner. Granato also discusses the recent play of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and what the team needs to do ahead of a three-game west coast trip.

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