Buffalo Sabres: 5 best draft classes in franchise history

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TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 30: Frank Nigro #32 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Mike Ramsey #5 of the Buffalo Sabres skate up ice at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on October 30, 1982 (Photo by Graig Abel Collection/Getty Images) /

1979 Draft

All but one draft pick saw time in an NHL game, starting with 11th overall pick Mike Ramsey. A defenseman, you may know Ramsey best for his time with the Miracle on Ice Team in 1980. The University of Minnesota product joined the Buffalo Sabres not long after, and scored 345 points (79 goals) in his NHL career. He played 911 games in Buffalo and appeared in four All-Star Games during his time with the team.

Lindy Ruff later became one of the best coaches in team history, but not before the versatile defenseman/winger put up 300 points and 105 goals in his NHL career. 608 of his 691 games came with the Sabres, where he scored 285 points and 102 goals during his time in the Queen City.

Gilles Hamel and Alan Haworth both appeared in over 500 NHL games, compiling 674 combined points and 316 combined goals. Of Hamel’s 519 NHL appearances, 365 came with Buffalo, where he scored 206 points and 92 goals. Haworth played in just 106 games for the Sabres, but he managed 37 goals and 75 total points.

You also cannot forget about Jacques Cloutier. The 55th overall pick compiled an 82-102-24 record as a goaltender, with a 3.64 GAA and 0.874 save percentage. In Buffalo, Cloutier finished 50-58-15, with a 0.871 save percentage and a 3.70 GAA.

Rick Knickle also spent time in the NHL as a goaltender with a 3.74 GAA and 0.879 save percentage over 14 career games, all with the Los Angeles Kings. Amazingly, he did not see NHL action until 1992-93 at age 32 – 14 seasons after he was drafted.

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