Takeaways from Levi, Karmanos and more at Rochester’s end-of-season press conferences

The Rochester Americans were eliminated from the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs on Sunday, losing the decisive Game 5 of a back-and-forth North Division Finals versus the Laval Rocket.

On Tuesday, the Amerks held end-of-season media availabilities to recap what, overall, was a successful season of team performance and individual prospect growth.

Here are some key takeaways from Tuesday’s conversations, with topics including Devon Levi’s future, head coach Michael Leone’s first season in Rochester and the organization’s approach to identifying and developing NHL-caliber talent.

View all of Rochester's end-of-season pressers here.

Devon Levi – G

On learning from adversity

Levi excelled once again in his second AHL season, posting a .919 save percentage, a 2.20 goals-against average and 25 wins in 42 regular season games. It was a strong response to his start of the year with Buffalo, where he had .872 save percentage and two wins in nine appearances.

“It hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows this year,” said the 23-year-old. “There’s been good moments, and then there’s been harder moments. And all those moments, you take in and you learn from them. And at the end of the day, the more you go through as a goalie – the more challenges, obstacles, adversity – the thicker your skin gets, and you need thick skin to be able to play in the NHL. … I think that this year, having it under my belt, is a huge asset for me moving forward.”

On potentially beginning next season with the Sabres

Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said at his end-of-season press conference that he’d be comfortable beginning the 2025-26 campaign with a goaltending tandem of Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Does Levi expect to make that full-time jump to the next level?

“I haven’t even thought about that. We’ll see what happens. I’m just super grateful for this year, and I’m excited for next year. I feel like I’m ready to play in the NHL, but obviously it’s out of my control; I leave that up to the people in charge, the people paid to make that decision. Whatever happens, happens. It takes time as a goalie. Had a good meeting with the staff. All I can focus on is being the best version of myself every single day, and I know that I’m gonna end up where I want to be eventually. That’s the process.”

On Michael Leone and the Amerks’ coaching staff

“He’s been awesome. He’s an amazing coach and an even better guy. Having conversations with him in the locker room, about anything from hockey to just day-to-day stuff, life, he’s been great. Very personable dude, and I think that everybody really respected him. I think he really had the locker room under his control, and he was able to lead us down a great season.

“… Everybody on the staff really made it easy for us to feel at home and want to compete and be the best versions of ourselves.”

Michael Leone – head coach

On biggest takeaway from his first AHL season

Leone, 37, joined the Amerks after two seasons with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. In Year 1 as an AHL head coach, he learned a lot about the difficulty of the league – namely the physical play, the repetition of opponents and the travel schedule.

“I can see why a lot of teams like to send their prospects to the American League,” Leone said. “It hardens you and it seasons you, and you go through a lot of ups and downs.

“… Always dreamed about coaching in this league and fortunate for the opportunity. It was the best year I’ve ever had, just with our group, staff. I wish we were practicing in Charlotte right now.”

On Konsta Helenius and other prospects

Asked about Sabres prospects who made the biggest strides this season, Leone mentioned forwards Noah Ostlund, Anton Wahlberg and Konsta Helenius, as well as defensemen Nikita Novikov and Vsevolod Komarov. He spoke especially highly of Helenius, the 19-year-old who played some of his best hockey in the playoffs.

“He was incredible,” Leone said. “I thought he rose to the occasion; the bigger the moment, the better he played. I thought he played with a level of physicality. Ultimately, when you get to this time of the year, you find out who you are as a player. You work so hard to get to that end of the year, and you have to play a certain way to be successful. That’s what wins, and I thought Hele played a lot of winning hockey for us.”

On communication with the Sabres during the season

Leone estimates he attended 10 to 12 games at KeyBank Center this season. Those visits helped him communicate with Lindy Ruff, Kevyn Adams and other Sabres staff about Amerks players, but whether he was in Buffalo, Rochester or on the road, the head coach provided frequent updates about the development taking place under his watch.

“I think it was really important for me to try to get there (Buffalo) as much as I can,” Leone said. “I’d give them a lot of information before any guy was called up. Obviously their play would determine when they were called up, but just (to) give them information on how guys were doing, how our younger players were doing, and things like that.”

Jason Karmanos – Amerks general manager and Sabres associate GM

On prospect development in Rochester

Karmanos made it clear that, while “the development environment is ideally a winning one,” the ultimate goal is to produce talented players who will comprise a successful NHL roster. He’s encouraged by the progress many prospects made this season with the Amerks.

“That’s the positive, for sure,” Karmanos said. “I do think that gets lost in the shuffle a little bit, with the disappointment in Buffalo. That is simultaneously happening – a positive story, in terms of the development of our young prospects. I think that whole group took meaningful steps; some of those individuals took huge steps. We need that to continue.

“… There’s always other energy put towards evaluating free-agent options or trade options. It’s just an ongoing process to evaluate where this is all headed and who can help us win a Stanley Cup in Buffalo. We’re trying to win a Calder Cup here, but at the end of the day, we’re mostly trying to develop players for the Buffalo Sabres – that’s the first priority.”

On identifying toughness and physicality in the draft process

The Sabres always look to fill the organization with tough, physical players, but as Karmanos explained, those traits can be difficult to identify in young draft prospects. At June’s NHL Draft Combine and NHL Draft, Karmanos and co. will be targeting fierce competitors who project to grow into physical presences, too.

“That’s what we’re doing with the draft – we’re really projecting them years out,” Karmanos said. “Drafting 17- and 18-year-old kids who haven’t physically developed, you can get tendencies on players, in terms of their ability to play a tough or aggressive style of hockey. Of course we look for players with those elements. Depending on what level they’re playing at, it’s not as easily detectable; some players that are physically underdeveloped may come a little later in that regard.”

He added that the overarching goal is to collect any variety of NHL-caliber players; “if we have too many of a certain type, I hope they all play, and then we can trade them for other assets that maybe look a little different.”

Konsta Helenius – F

On goals heading into second North American season

After finishing his rookie campaign with 35 points (14+21) in 65 regular season games, plus six points (3+3) in eight playoff contests, the 2024 first-round pick expects bigger things ahead.

“It’s not just this next summer, it’s for the next five years – I’m gonna be stronger and faster, and I’ve just got to work on it” Helenius said. “Because I like to play a lot with the puck; it’s hard to play with the puck if you’re slow and you lose every battle.”

On engaging in post-whistle chaos during the playoffs

When a scrum broke out during the Amerks’ playoff run, Helenius was typically in the middle of it. He confirmed Tuesday that he felt right at home in those situations.

“It’s part of hockey: trash talk, things like that,” said a smiling Helenius. “In playoffs, it’s physical and sometimes some guys get mad. I just feel like I’m more in the game when there’s hits and trash talk.”

• Read: ‘Best version’ of Helenius fueled Amerks’ playoff run

Isak Rosen – F

On becoming a more aggressive shooter

In past seasons, Rosen admits, he sometimes deferred to linemate – and sniper – Jiri Kulich. But with Kulich in Buffalo for most of the year, Rosen scored a team- and career-high 28 goals in Rochester.

“Good thing to remind myself I’m a good shooter, too, and I can score a lot of goals,” Rosen said Tuesday, elaborating that he got more looks from a variety of areas in the offensive zone, especially on the power play, compared to previous years.

On working to make the Sabres’ 2025-26 roster

For all his production across three years with the Amerks – 142 points (62+80) in 194 regular season games – Rosen has just one assist in 15 career NHL contests, eight of which came this season. With a strong offseason, the 22-year-old believes his AHL success can translate to the next level.

“I’m just trying to bring confidence from this season – had a good season here – and get stronger, and everything I can do in the summer,” Rosen said. “I’m trying to get stronger and faster, so I’m probably a better player when I come back.”

Noah Ostlund – F

On offseason plans

Ostlund totaled 36 points (19+17) in 45 regular season games with the Amerks before his eight-game NHL debut with the Sabres. That April experience with the big club offered a glimpse of where the 21-year-old, listed at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, needs to improve this offseason.

“I need to get stronger and build some more muscle to be able to play in the NHL – that’s my goal,” he said.

He’ll spend the summer in his native Sweden, training with a group including Jesper Bratt and William Nylander. That time with established NHL talent only figures to help the skilled young forward; what stands out about those guys, Ostlund said, is how hard they work on a daily basis.

Tyson Kozak – F

On the jump to Buffalo

Kozak made his NHL debut Dec. 5 and scored his first goal two days later. He played 21 games for the Sabres – earning Lindy Ruff’s trust as a steady fourth-line center – before rejoining the Amerks for the playoffs. Having concluded his third AHL season, Kozak credited Rochester’s staff for preparing him for success at the next level.

“Since I’ve been here, coaches, teammates, trainers, all that, they’ve been great,” said the 22-year-old. “Helped me a lot in my development. And then when I got the opportunity to go play in Buffalo, I just felt really comfortable and had a lot of belief in myself.”

Now, Kozak feels he needs to develop a physical build more tailored to his bottom-six NHL role.

“One of my main goals is try and get a little bit bigger and stronger, because of the role that I play,” he said. “Fourth line, maybe third line, usually playing against bigger, heavier guys, so if I can put on a little bit more strength, I think that would be good.”

On Leone’s first season in Rochester

“For him coming in, in his first season, he did a phenomenal job,” Kozak said. “We all bought into what he wanted and how we wanted to play, and we love playing for him.”

Ryan Johnson – D

On his offseason plan and pursuit of an NHL role

The 2019 first-round pick played 66 regular season games with Rochester – totaling 13 points (2+11) and a plus-13 rating – compared to just three games with Buffalo.

Johnson, the 6-foot-1, 23-year-old defenseman, outlined an offseason plan to continue developing into an NHL-ready option for the Sabres.

“An NHL defenseman, you see they’re solid in all areas of their game, they’re up and down the rink – there’s a reason why they’re there,” he said. “For me, it’s recognizing those areas and just continuing to refine a lot of areas in my game. Work on those things that help score the team goals, help the team win. Work on defending. Size is something – I think I can continue to get bigger without losing my speed.”

Johnson also aims to become a greater offensive threat, taking his high-volume shooting mentality to “the areas of the ice where it’s more dangerous.”