Top 5 greatest goalies of all-time on the Buffalo Sabres
We all know the Buffalo Sabres have had some of the greatest goalies in NHL history. So who made the top five in team history?
The Buffalo Sabres may have among the top goaltender groups ever, let alone five franchise goaltenders who could have started and excelled for any NHL team. Below, we will check out five sensational goaltenders, one of which is arguably the best to ever play the game at the position.
But before we meet our top five goalies in Sabres history, it is appropriate to name two players who just missed the cut. Both of which were kind of sandwiched in between some of the legends listed in the following slides and in some cases, forgotten about.
Who are the top five best Buffalo Sabres goalies in franchise history? Honorable mentions
Martin Biron
Biron might be the most underrated goaltender in Buffalo Sabres history. And while he didn’t do quite enough to reach the top five, he was a successful bridge player between Ryan Miller becoming a full-time starter and Dominik Hasek’s departure. Biron placed 10th for the Calder Trophy in 2000 and finished his career with the Sabres logging 134 wins, 115 losses, 29 ties/overtime losses, a 0.909 save percentage, and a GAA of 2.53.
Daren Puppa
Puppa earned Second Team All-Star honors in 1990 and even saw time in the 1990 NHL All-Star Game. He also finished second for the Vezina Trophy that season. It was a year where he logged a 0.903 save percentage, a 2.89 GAA, and a record of 31-16-6. His overall numbers involved a 3.41 GAA, an 0.888 save percentage, and a win-loss record of 96-68-28.
Bob Sauve
In 1979-80, the Buffalo Sabres were pretty good. One reason is that they had a goaltender named Bob Sauve, who ended up winning the Vezina Trophy that year. He logged a save percentage of 0.901 and an amazing 2.36 GAA. He also received strong consideration for the NHL All-Star Team that year.
Sauve played in Buffalo for nine seasons, and he saw action in 246 games. During his time in the Queen City, he finished 119-76-39 with a career save percentage of 0.877 and a GAA of 3.21. Sauve originally moved on from Buffalo during the 1981-82 season, where he spent time with the Detroit Red Wings. However, he would return to the Sabres and remain with them until 1984-85.
He split two seasons apiece in Chicago and New Jersey, but as Sauve ventured into his thirties, his numbers declined and he allowed a GAA of 3.95 during those final four years and a save percentage of 0.870.
However, before he left the Sabres following the 1984-85 season, Sauve won the William M. Jennings Trophy. This award goes to the goaltender with the fewest goals against over a minimum 25 games played. It was the second time Sauve won the award, as the Vezina, until 1981, was also awarded under that definition.
Tom Barrasso
No one burst onto the scene quite like Tom Barrasso did in 1983-84. The Buffalo Sabres knew they had a gem the second he manned the net, as Barrasso secured First Team All-Rookie and All-Star honors, won the Calder Trophy, and the Vezina. He also finished ninth for the Hart Trophy.
Barrasso was almost equally as effective during his second season. He earned Second Team All-Star honors, took eighth for the Hart, won the Jennings Trophy, and took second for the Vezina. And while he wasn’t as effective from there on out, he still contended for spots on the NHL All-Star Team and the Vezina, the latter of which he did routinely.
And while he never won a Stanley Cup with the Sabres, Barrasso did win a pair of them with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1990s. He also rekindled some individual glory during the 1992-93 season, in which he earned Second Team All-Star honors and once again finished in second for the Vezina.
Don Edwards
Edwards only spent six seasons inside the net for the Buffalo Sabres. But they were among the best years we had seen from a goaltender until Barrasso took over shortly after Edwards departed. His journey in the Queen City started in 1976-77, where the Sabres knew they had a special talent when Edwards secured an 0.899 save percentage and a 2.52 GAA.
It was just a 25-game trial, but Edwards passed with flying colors, excuse the cliché. The next season, he finished in third for the Calder, earned Second-Team All-Star honors, and took fourth for the Hart. And Don was just getting started, as he won the Vezina and Second Team All-Star honors for the 1979-80 season.
He continued to contend for the Vezina and a spot on the NHL All-Star Team until he left for the Calgary Flames. Much like Sauve, Edwards was not as effective in the net after departing Buffalo, and the same held true throughout his final season in Toronto.
During Edwards’ six years with the Sabres, he allowed over three goals per game just twice. When he went elsewhere, Edwards’ GAA never moved south of the 4.00 mark.
Ryan Miller
This is one of those articles where you know ahead of time who will finish in first and who will take second. And if you were creating all-time goaltender tandems for all 32 NHL teams, Ryan Miller and Dominik Hasek would be arguably the best in the league.
Miller saw cameo appearances for his first two seasons between 2002 and 2004. He probably would have debuted in 2004-05, but the NHL Lockout sent him back to the AHL for an entire season. However, the additional time in the minors spurred what was the second-best tenure of any goaltender in Buffalo Sabres history.
Miller fueled the Sabres during their deep playoff runs in 2006 and 2007, contending for the Calder and finally snagging a First Team spot on the NHL All-Star Team plus a Vezina Trophy in 2009-10. Miller also finished in the top 10 for the Hart that same year.
And while he never won a Stanley Cup with the Sabres, he still finished his tenure with the team with a 2.60 GAA, a 0.916 save percentage, and a win-loss record of 284-186-57. He will become a member of the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame and officially have his number retired in January 2023.
Dominik Hasek
There is literally no one else qualified to take the top spot as the top goalie in Buffalo Sabres history than Dominik Hasek. So how good was he? He won the Hart Trophy twice, won six Vezina Trophies, six First Team NHL All-Star honors, three Jennings, and two Pearsons. That’s a lot of hardware for any athlete of any sport to win.
Hasek did reach the Stanley Cup Final with the Sabres, but they lost in six games to the controversial game-winning shot courtesy of Brett Hull. It is really the only damper on Hasek’s career in Buffalo, and he ended it with 234 wins, a 0.926 save percentage, and a 2.22 GAA.
Some call him the best goaltender to have played the game, and if he isn’t the best, most NHL historians at least list him in their top five. Not bad for a former 199th overall pick. Speaking of 199th overall picks in the four major North American sports, he is at least in the top two in that category as well, and perhaps even the greatest.
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Hasek is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Buffalo Sabres retired his #39 and Miller’s #30 will soon join it. Overall, Hasek isn’t just the best goaltender in franchise history, he might just be the best player its 50-plus year history.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)