The 2010s were such an interesting era of Buffalo Sabres hockey. They had Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Evander Kane, Ryan O'Reilly, and a bunch of other standout stars, who just couldn't gel with the charging bison on their chest.
Looking at the best wingers of the decade, there is a very strong list of names that are not mentioned above. These three carved a large chunk of the offensive production in the 2010s, and should be remembered as pioneers for the current solid group of wingers on the current roster.
Let's take a look.
Honorable mention - Kyle Okposo
It is hard to ignore the fact that Kyle Okposo is one of the top wingers in this franchise's history, considering he was a mainstay on this roster for so long. But, when looking at what he did from 2016-17 through the end of the decade, consisting of the 2019-20 season, No. 21 had 57 goals, 80 assists for 137 points in 271 games.
Repectable, but these names below had a little more of an impact on the scoresheet and in the hearts of Sabres fans.
3. Drew Stafford
Drew Stafford is the third-best winger of the decade, and his most productive years were at the very start of the 2010s. In 2010-11, he had the best year of his career, with the sole 30-goal season, with 31, of his career. He finished with 21 assists as well to give him a total of 52 points.
He has a chance to be in this spot for the 2000s group of wingers as well, as he was a part of this franchise for the second half of that. There is no denying that many fans miss Stafford's playstyle in Buffalo, as this team has yet to find a solid net-crasher. But, there is hope that Josh Doan might find himself as a comparable after his breakout year in 2025-26.
2. Thomas Vanek
Thomas Vanek was a fan-favorite for the entirety of his time with Buffalo. There is a great chance that his No. 26 will be hung in the rafters of the KeyBank Center one day. The 2000s version of Vanek was better than the 2010s version, as he eclipsed 40+ goals in a single season twice.
Throughout the 2010s, Vanek was still a great asset for the Sabres. He was consistent in the 60-70 point range and was a member of the last playoff team before the 14-year drought that was snapped in 2025-26.
Vanek ranks fifth on the all-time leaderboards for goals, with 254.
1. Jason Pominville
At No.1, it is obviously Jason Pominville. He is the best winger of the 2010s, and he only played in the first two and a half seasons of it. He made the All-Star game in 2011-12 and scored 30 goals that season. He was also the 16th captain in franchise history.
Pominville went on to Minnesota in a blockbuster trade that gave the Sabres a first-round pick in 2013, and a second round pick in 2014, along with Johan Larsson and Matt Hackett. But, he would find his way back to Western New York, as he finished his last two seasons of NHL hockey with the team that drafted him in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
During his tenure with Buffalo, Pominville registered 521 points, which is the eighth most in franchise history. There is a reason why a lot of fans still rock his jersey a number of years following his departure from the Sabres and the NHL as a whole.
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