Buffalo Sabres Debate! Who is the best player in franchise history?
By Sion Fawkes
Gilbert Perreault, Center
Perreault holds the honor as the first draft pick in Buffalo Sabres history. And if you look at most top picks for expansion teams, they often don’t play well considering the lack of talent around them.
That wasn’t the case for Perreault, who snagged the Calder Trophy during his first NHL season and even took 13th for the Hart. He scored 72 points in 78 games that year, and it was the beginning of what would be a Hall of Fame outing with the Sabres.
He took Second Team NHL All-Star honors twice, and appeared in six All-Star Games. Perreault also led the legendary French Connection, and he was a pivotal part of the Sabres 1974-75 team that reached the Stanley Cup Final.
Perreault was an outstanding player who was the first in franchise history to see his number retired. It is rare that a franchise’s first overall pick from over 50 seasons ago can still stake the claim as the best overall player in its history. But Perreault’s career has definitely made a compelling argument.