Top 5 greatest captains of all-time on the Buffalo Sabres

BUFFALO, NY - OCTOBER 5: Mike Grier #25 and Chris Drury #23 of the Buffalo Sabres observe the national anthem during the game with the New York Islanders on October 5, 2005 at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres won 6-4. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - OCTOBER 5: Mike Grier #25 and Chris Drury #23 of the Buffalo Sabres observe the national anthem during the game with the New York Islanders on October 5, 2005 at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres won 6-4. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
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Buffalo Sabres
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 28: John Madden #11 and Paul Martin #7 of the New Jersey Devils battle for the puck with Chris Drury #23 and Daniel Briere #48 of the Buffalo Sabres at Continental Airlines Arena on October 28, 2005 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Daniel Briere & Chris Drury

While this article is entitled the Top 5 greatest captains in Buffalo Sabres history, it was impossible to separate Daniel Briere and Chris Drury, who both served in the role between 2003-04 and 2006-07, with Miroslav Satan, James Patrick, and Jean-Pierre Dumont rotating in during the 2003-04 season.

But with Briere and Drury serving as co-captains alone between 2005 and 2007, they get front and center stage here. The duo took the task of captaining what was supposed to be a terrible hockey team in 2005-06. Fortunately for the Sabres and their fans, Briere and Drury led the team deep into the playoffs and they nearly upset the Carolina Hurricanes to return to the Stanley Cup Final.

However, the Sabres lost that series four games to three. Yet the duo of Briere and Drury kept the Sabres in contention the following year. So much that the team snagged its first Presidents’ Trophy and yet another deep playoff run.

While Briere and Drury never captained the Sabres to a Stanley Cup Final, their presence helped turn what was supposed to be a hopeless team into one of the league’s elite for two years running. And that gives them the top spot on the greatest captains in Buffalo Sabres history.

Who would make your list of top captains in team history? Let us know your list in the comments.

(Statistics and historical data provided by Hockey-Reference)