With the start of the NHL season right around the corner, the Buffalo Sabres are looking to end the longest playoff drought in NHL history. I decided to take a look back at the top 10 players who have donned the Blue and Gold during this drought.
HONORABLE MENTION- TAGE THOMPSON Center
Tage Thompson was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2016, 26th overall. The big 6 ‘7 Center didn’t have much of an impact in Saint Louis and was shipped to Buffalo in the summer of 2018 as part of the infamous Ryan O’Reilly trade. In Thompson’s first two seasons as a Buffalo Sabre he only played 39 games he had 8 goals and 6 assists. Over that two year span, not much to write home about until last year where the 24-year old had a huge breakout year. Not many saw it coming, but paired with Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch Thompson played in 78 games scoring 38 goals with 30 assists for a total of 68 points. This led to Thompson getting a seven-year extension worth 50 million dollars. So why an honorable mention and not being on the actual list? It comes two fold, one he only had production for one year. Two, he will hopefully be a part of the team that ends this drought, not one of the few bright spots in a dark time.
10.) Rasmus Ristolainen
Ristolainen hailing from Finland was supposed to be an elite defender with offensive upside as the Sabres drafted him 8th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft. Ristolainen never panned out as an elite player, but he did have his moments and was one of the “better defensemen” the Sabres have had since the 2011-2012 season. As his time wore on in Buffalo and the Sabres failed to see real improvements, Ristolainen became vocal about not being happy in Buffalo and finally got the trade he was looking for in the Summer of 2021 being shipped to Philadelphia.
9.) Tyler Ennis
Tyler Ennis standing at 5’9 and weighing 176 pounds was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres 26th Overall in 2008 and played on the last Sabres squad to make the playoffs. Ennis spent another 6 years in Buffalo after that leading the Sabres in goals in back to back years (2013-14 and 2014-2015) with 21 and 20 goals. Unfortunately, the Sabres finished last in the league both those years. Ennis was never an overwhelming force, but he was consistent when healthy and a bright spot on some terrible teams. After struggling with some serious concussion issues he was traded to the Minnesota Wild in the Summer of 2017.
8.) Kyle Okposo
Kyle Okposo was drafted 7th overall by the New York Islanders back in 2006. Ten years later, Okposo came to Buffalo via free agency inking a 7-year 42-million dollar contract. Okposo despite health issues has embraced the city of Buffalo and a leadership role. His best season came last year, as the Sabres began to show some promise. He finished the 21-22 season with 21 goals 24 assists and 45 points. Overall in his 6 years in Buffalo, Oposko has played 380 games racking up 80 goals and 115 assists.
7.) Rasmus Dahlin
The offensive minded Swedish defenseman was drafted number 1 overall by the Sabres in the 2018 NHL Draft. Since his arrival as an 18 year old kid, Dahlin has been steady for the Sabres trying to live up to that number 1 overall pick status. He was only the fifth defenseman in the history of the NHL to rack up 30 points before the age of 19. Dahlin was also a top three finalist for the Calder. He started playing some of the best hockey in his young career last year racking up career highs in goals (13) assists (18) and points (53).
6.) Ryan Miller
Ryan Miller was drafted by the Sabres 138th overall in 1999 by the 2005-06 season he was Buffalo’s starting goalie. Miller quickly became one of the best Goalies in the entire NHL, winning a Vezina Trophy in 2010 the same year he won a silver medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Miller also became the greatest American born goalie to ever play in the NHL, finishing with the most wins ever for an American born goalie with 391. So how does this NHL and Sabres all-time legend only come in 6th on our list? He only played for about a year and half on the drought teams before being traded to the St. Louis Blues in February of 2014. For that year and half Miller was still a good goalie but faced tons of adversity playing on a bad team with weak defense.
5.) Sam Reinhart
Sam Reinhart was drafted second overall by Buffalo in 2014. Reinhart was very steady as a Sabre, never finishing a season with less than 40 points. His best season statistically in Buffalo was the 2018-19 campaign, where Reinhart played in 82 games racking up 65 points. That 2018-19 season will always be infamous as the Sabres managed to pull off a ten-game winning streak only to fall apart and miss the playoffs. Reinhart was eventually traded to the Florida Panthers in the summer of 2021. In exchange, Buffalo got college hockey’s best goalie in Devon Levi and a first round pick.
4.) Thomas Vanek
Thomas Vanek was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2003 5th overall. Vanek started playing in Buffalo in 2005. Vanek had his best season in Buffalo the next season, where he was 5th in the NHL in goals with 43. He also had the best plus minus in the entire league at +47. Vanek played on the last Sabres team to make the playoffs and only played during one and half years of the drought. He was named captain of the team in 2013 and would continue to produce even though the Sabres struggled. His last full season in Buffalo, he played in 78 games scoring 26 goals with 35 assists for a total 61 points. Like many other players on this list Vanek left Buffalo via trade to the New York Islanders. He was traded October 27, 2013.
3.) Jason Pominville
Pominville the Canadian born player and fan favorite was drafted by Buffalo in 2001. Pominville cracked Buffalo’s line up by the 2005-06 season. He was an electric player from 2006 till 2012 Pominville averaged 66 points per season. Pominville also had a stretch where he started 335 games straight. He was named captain in 2011. In the first year of the drought, Pominville played in 82 games. He racked up 73 points on 30 goals and 43 assists. The next season Pominville was traded to Minnesota where he spent five years before being traded back to Buffalo where he finished up the last two years of his career.
2.) Ryan O’Reilly
Ryan O’Reilly found himself in Buffalo via trade in 2015 where he was immediately named as an alternate captain and signed a 7-year, 52.5 million dollar contract. That summer O’Reilly famously crashed into a Tim Hortons while drunk driving. O’Reilly only ended up playing 3 years of that 7 year deal in Buffalo. In those three years, he put up 60, 55 and 61 point seasons and was one of the best two-way players in the NHL. In his last season in Buffalo, O’Reilly set the record for most faceoffs won in a single season and he was named a Lady Byng Memorial trophy finalist for sportsmanship. Even with his own personal success, the Sabres struggled heavily during his tenure. O’Reilly openly admitting he was losing the love he once had for the game and was subsequently traded in the summer of 2018 to the St. Louis Blues. He went on to become a Stanley Cup Champ and a Conn Smythe award winner the next year.
- Jack Eichel
I’m going to start this off by saying it pains me to put Eichel as the best player of the drought. Especially after his comments about fans when he returned to Buffalo this year as a Vegas Golden Knight. But statistically speaking, he is. Eichel came to Buffalo in 2015 after the Sabres missed out on the first overall pick, Connor McDavid. The Sabres had to settle for second overall pick and take Jack Eichel and to be fair, in almost any other draft Eichel would have been a first overall pick. As a rookie for the Sabres, Eichel started out great. He played in 81 games leading Buffalo in goals with 24. He notched another 32 assists which put him second on the team in points with 56 just behind Ryan O’Reilly. Even after missing time due to injuries over the following two years he still managed to set new career highs in points with 57 and 64. Eichel stayed healthy the following year and again showed improvement playing in 77 games. He set a career high in points with 82 comprised of 28 goals with 54 assists. The following year Eichel only played in 68 games, but managed to score a career high 36 goals with 42 assists for 78 points. Even with Eichel’s elite offensive play the Sabres struggled. They went through a few coaches and had a tough time finding another star player who wanted to play with Eichel. Throughout this time, Eichel was pretty vocal about not being happy with the Sabres lackluster play. The final straw came when Eichel suffered a herniation of his spinal disc. Team management and Eichel could not come to an agreement on a treatment plan, Eichel ended up being stripped of his captaincy and was put on long Term IR. He eventually got his way out of Buffalo and was traded to the Vegas Knights.
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