Every NHL franchise has a laundry list of forgotten heroes. So who were some valuable Buffalo Sabres that few fans are likely to remember?
The Buffalo Sabres had some incredible players over their past 50-plus seasons that have faded into obscurity. So compiling a list of forgotten players was quite the task, as most who ever put on an NHL uniform are easy to forget. Maybe they had a moment or two in the NHL limelight, but not much more.
So the players listed below and in the following slides are those who contributed significantly to the Sabres organization, but their names do not rise to the surface in the same way as many others. Therefore, they are often overlooked, despite their solid performances in the Queen City. Who made the top five on this list? Keep reading to find out more.
The five most forgotten Buffalo Sabres of all-time: Player #1 – Stu Barnes
Barnes is a former fourth overall pick who saw time with several NHL franchises. He didn’t take the ice for the Buffalo Sabres until late in the 1998-99 season, in which he played 17 games and compiled four points.
Despite the meager start, Barnes became a moderately productive player for Buffalo in the 1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs and eventually served as a team captain in 2002-03. He only played for the franchise until then, spending parts of five and just three whole seasons with the Sabres.
During his time in Buffalo, he totaled 310 games, 172 points, 67 goals, and 105 assists. Barnes will never go down as one of the best in team history. But he was a serviceable player for the Sabres who helped fuel their 1999 run to the Stanley Cup Final.