Naming the Buffalo Sabres All-Time Team (1970 to 2022)

The Forwards

First Line: Rick Martin, Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert

When I conducted my list of who the best Buffalo Sabre of all-time was, I listed two former players on the French Connection: Gilbert Perreault and Rick Martin. Though Rene Robert was also a legendary player in his own right.

For the first line, it was literally no contest here. No one dominated like the French Connection in Buffalo Sabres history. And while there will always be line mates in the NHL who will try and emulate them, it has not been done yet. This trio did everything but win a Stanley Cup. But their accolades speak for themselves.

Second Line: Dave Andreychuk, Pat LaFontaine, Danny Gare

Having started his career in 1975, Danny Gare would have been the lead man anywhere else in the NHL if it wasn’t for the French Connection. Dave Andreychuk was much better than his two All-Star Games indicate, and he eventually became a Hall of Famer.

Though smaller, LaFontaine was one of the best when he first suited up for the Sabres in 1991. His unforgettable 1992 season saw him earn Second Team All-Star honors as he cruised to 148 points in 84 contests.

Third Line: Thomas Vanek, Alexander Mogilny, Jason Pominville

He became a journeyman later in his career, but with the Buffalo Sabres, Thomas Vanek was arguably one of the team’s most productive forwards. After he scored 84 points in his second season, you knew the Sabres had one special player.

Mogilny was a winger, but I bumped him inside for this list as he was far too productive to leave off the roster. He had 444 points in just 381 games with the Sabres, including 127 and 76 goals in 1992-93.

Finally, Pominville was a brilliant two-way player who received a few honorable mentions for the Selke. He had his best season in 2011-12, with 73 points, 30 goals, and 45 takeaways.

Fourth Line: Craig Ramsay, Miroslav Satin, Mike Foligno

And finally, we got the rugged fourth line, starting with Craig Ramsay. A smallish forward, Ramsay finished in the top seven for the Selke Trophy eight times, finally winning the award in 1985 at age 33.

Satan spent most of his career in Buffalo despite starting in Edmonton.  He played in two All-Star Games as a member of the Sabres, and finished in the top 10 three times for NHL All-Star Team honors.

Foligno’s career went to the wayside following the 1989-90 season. But not before he spent over a decade of dominance in Buffalo. He initially played for the Detroit Red Wings before arriving via trade for Gare, Jim Schoenfeld, and Derek Smith. While he was a decent scorer during his time with the Sabres, Foligno was also among their most physical presences between 1981 and 1990.