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.
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)