Buffalo Sabres: 5 best draft classes in franchise history

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The Buffalo Sabres have had some memorable drafts since their inaugural season in 1970. Today, we are discussing the top five.

The Buffalo Sabres have enjoyed some star-studded draft classes, or at least classes that provided serviceable NHL players, whether they made their mark in the Queen City or elsewhere. But many of the names mentioned in the following slides have made their way into Sabres lore, helping fuel some of the franchise’s most memorable eras.

And yeah, the Sabres have also had some not-so-good drafts, forgettable ones that faded into nothing more than a speck in their history books. But the following five draft classes either gave the team multiple stars or at least players who made a lasting impression in the NHL. So who are the top five draft classes in team history? Let’s meet them.

LOS ANGELES, CA- CIRCA 1981: Marcel Dionne #16 of the Los Angeles Kings collides with Derek Smith #19 of the Buffalo Sabers during an NHL Hockey game circa 1981 at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles, California. Dionne’s playing career went from 1971-89. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

The top five drafts in Buffalo Sabres history – 1971 Draft

This draft was responsible for bringing the legendary Rick Martin to the club, who of course formed one-third of the famed French Connection. One of the best players in NHL history, Martin scored 701 times (384 goals) in 685 games. All but four of those contests came with the Sabres.

The 1971 class was also notable for 19th overall pick, Craig Ramsay, who put up 672 points in (252 goals) in 1,070 games with the Sabres. Bill Hajt, drafted 33rd overall, was another big name in Buffalo Sabres spheres. An occasional two-way player, Hajt saw time in 854 NHL games, compiling 42 goals and 244 total points, all with the Sabres.

Bob Richer, drafted 47th overall, also saw three games of NHL action. Others from the 1971 draft class include defenseman Steve Warr and center Pierre Duguay.

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.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – CIRCA 1990: Dave Andreychuk #25 of the Buffalo Sabers skates against the New Jersey Devils during an NHL Hockey game circa 1990 at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Andreychuk’s playing career went from 1982-2006. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

1982 Draft

Trivia Question: When was the last time the Buffalo Sabres had three picks in the first round in back-to-back seasons? The Answer as of 2022: 1982 and 1983. In fact, the Sabres had 15 picks in 1982, and all but four of them played in fewer than 100 NHL games. So why is this one of the best draft classes in team history?

Because it was this draft class that brought the Sabres a pair of legendary puzzle pieces in Dave Andreychuk and Phil Housley. Combined, these two players appeared in over 3,000 NHL games, with Housley playing in 1,495 of them.

One of the best two-way defensemen of all-time, Housley scored 1,232 points and 338 goals. He saw just eight seasons and 608 career games in Buffalo, putting up 558 points and 178 goals. With the Sabres, he appeared in the 1984, 89, and 90 All-Star Games.

Andreychuk, a left winger, played in 1,639 contests, scoring 1,338 points and an astounding 640 goals. He played 12 seasons for the Sabres, with 804 points (368 goals) in 837 games. He also appeared in the 1990 All-Star Game during his time in Buffalo.

Left winger Paul Cyr was sandwiched between Housley and Andreychuk. And while he did not put up the same gaudy numbers as the other two, he still eked out 471 contests and 241 points (101 goals). 343 of those 471 games came in Buffalo, where he scored 85 goals and 196 points.

Jeff Parker is another name worth mentioning. A sixth round pick, the right-winger played in 141 games, scoring 35 points and 16 goals. All but four of those games and all of his points came with the Sabres.

TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 30: Darren Puppa #35 Buffalo Sabres stops a shot against the Toronto Maple Leafs in game action on November 30, 1985 at Maple Leafs Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel Collection/Getty Images) /

1983 Draft

The 1983 draft class saw the Buffalo Sabres come away with not one but two goaltenders in Tom Barrasso (fifth overall) and Daren Puppa (74th overall). An NHL journeyman, Barrasso compiled a 369-277-86 record and a 3.24 career GAA.

He won numerous awards with the Sabres, including a spot on the All-Rookie Team, All-Star honors, the Vezina, and Calder Trophies. In 1984-85, Barrasso received second-team All-Star honors and the Jennings Trophy.

Puppa saw action in 429 career games, finishing with a record of 179-161-54 and a 3.04 GAA. He played eight seasons with the Sabres, compiling a 96-68-28 record, a GAA of 3.41, and an 0.888 save percentage.

The Sabres had three picks in the top 11 that season, drafting winger Normand Lacombe 10th overall and center Adam Creighton just one pick later. Lacombe was serviceable in his career, with 115 points (53 goals) in 319 NHL contests. With the Sabres, he played in 94 games, scoring 30 points and 12 goals.

Creighton appeared in 708 games, scoring 187 goals and 403 total points. In six seasons with the Sabres, he saw 172 games of action, scoring 100 points and 40 goals. Creighton also enjoyed a 16.1 shooting percentage during his time in the Queen City.

Buffalo drafted center John Tucker 31st overall and he also enjoyed a solid NHL career, scoring 436 points (177 goals) in 656 games. Eight of his 13 seasons came in Buffalo, where he converted 18,9 percent of his shots on goal. Overall, he scored 270 points and 116 goals for the Sabres.

Another center, Christian Ruuttu scored 432 times (134 goals) in 621 career games. Six of his seasons were with the Sabres, and the center scored 331 points in 438 contests with the club, compiling 101 goals in that span.

And Uwe Krupp, selected 214th overall, appeared in 729 contests, scoring 281 points and 69 goals as a defenseman. He played six years in Buffalo, appearing in 322 games and compiling 103 points, 25 of which were goals.

3 May 1998: Defenseman Calle Johansson of the Washington Capitals in action during a game against the Boston Bruins at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts. The Capitals defeated the Bruins 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Steve Babineau /Allsport /

1985 Draft

Defenseman Calle Johansson headlined the 1985 Buffalo Sabres draft class, and while he played 15 seasons in Washington, he earned a spot on the All-Rookie team with the Sabres. Center Benoit Hogue gave them 196 games, scoring 45 goals and 112 points. He later became an NHL journeyman.

The 119th pick of the 1985 NHL Draft, Joe Reekie, appeared in 104 games with the Sabres, scoring just a handful of points but providing a sound physical presence. Taken 98th overall, center Ken Priestlay played four of his six NHL seasons in Buffalo, mainly seeing time as a role player in his 117 games for the team.

Winger Ken Baumgartner was the 245th overall pick that season and while the journeyman never took the ice with the Sabres, he enjoyed a serviceable 12-year career that included 696 appearances. He scored just 54 career points (13 goals), but one could not deny his physical presence.

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And that’s a wrap. As you can see, not all the players listed in these star-studded classes made their mark with the Buffalo Sabres. But those who headlined the above classes made at least an impression in NHL spheres in one way or another. And that’s what made these draft classes among the greatest in team history.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)

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