The Buffalo Sabres were once among the NHL's most effective drafting organizations. Not only did they typically do well in the opening round, starting with French Connection legend Gilbert Perreault as the first pick in franchise history, but they commonly found late-round steals.
Things have changed for the worse over the past decade, which is key reason Buffalo hasn't reached the playoffs in 14 years, but ESPN's Greg Wyshynski highlighted the team's past success Thursday in an article ranking the best player to emerge from each NHL Draft slot in league history.
Although the Sabres made the ESPN list 11 times, ranging from Round 1 to Round 8 — these days the draft only has seven rounds — none of the selections listed have come since 2016, which further illustrates the front office's issues in recent years.
Dave Andreychuk (16th pick in 1982)
The modern-day Sabres could use a player like Andreychuk, a net-front hound who made life hell for opposing defensemen, especially on the power play. He scored 368 goals across 12 seasons in Buffalo, and lit the lamp 640 times as part of a 23-year Hall of Fame career.
Danny Gare (29th pick in 1974)
Gare overcame an undersized 5-foot-9 frame with relentless effort, which allowed him to score 354 NHL goals, including a pair of 50-goal seasons as a member of the Sabres. His No. 18 jersey is retired by the organization.
Tony McKegney (32nd pick in 1978)
McKegney is best known as the first Black player in NHL history to have a 40-goal season, a feat he accomplished while with the St. Louis Blues in 1987-88. He tallied 268 points in 363 games across five years with Buffalo.
Jason Pominville (55th pick in 2001)
"The population of Pominville grows by one more" was the common refrain by iconic play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret when the winger scored for the Sabres. He found the net 217 times in 11 years across two stints in Buffalo.
Ray Sheppard (60th pick in 1984)
Sheppard scored 38 goals as a rookie for the Sabres in 1987-88 but couldn't match that success over the next two years. He went on to make stops with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes as part of a nomadic 13-year career.
Alexander Mogilny (89th pick in 1988)
Mogilny is finally set to take his rightful place in the Hockey Hall of Fame this year after a wait that was far too long. The Russian superstar scored 473 career goals, highlighted by his memorable 76-goal campaign for the Sabres in 1992-93.
Ryan Miller (138th pick in 1999)
If Chris Drury and Daniel Briere were the backbone of the post-lockout Buffalo squads in the early 2000s, Miller was the heart. The netminder backstopped the Sabres to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances in 2006 and 2007, and he captured the Vezina Trophy in 2010.
Nathan Gerbe (142nd pick in 2005)
Gerbe was a fan favorite everywhere he played during an 11-year NHL career because he was a 5-foot-4 winger who played like he was 6-foot-4. He finished with more penalty minutes (196) than points (151) across time with the Sabres, Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Brandon Hagel (159th pick in 2016)
This one stings for Sabres fans. Hagel went unsigned by Buffalo after getting selected in the sixth round back in 2016. He's since developed into one of the league's best two-way forwards as a member of the Atlantic Division rival Tampa Bay Lightning.
Linus Ullmark (163rd pick in 2012)
Ullmark was just starting to come into his own when he left the Sabres in 2021. He proceeded to emerge as one of the NHL's top goaltenders as a member of the Boston Bruins, including a Vezina three seasons ago on the strength of a .938 save percentage. He's now with the Ottawa Senators.
Randy Cunneyworth (167th pick in 1980)
Cunneyworth didn't make much of an impact in two seasons with the Sabres before breaking out during a four-year run with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He eventually returned to Buffalo to play his final NHL season in 1998-99.