Second-wave expansion included the Buffalo Sabres, starting in 1970. Today, NHL Saturday looks at the best players in the organization’s history, which includes two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals—including a miraculous run five seasons into the franchise’s existence. Alas, no championships have been won up in the most northeastern American city among the league’s teams. But you should recognize a lot of these guys.

No. 10: Thomas Vanek, LW—63 PS (2005-2013)

He was the No. 5 overall pick, and while the Sabres got only one All-Star season out of him (2007), generally, he was a productive player. He put up 497 points in 598 regular-season games, yet he only managed 20 points in 36 playoff contests. With him on the roster, Buffalo made the Eastern Conference Finals twice (2006, 2007). His best season? It was also 2007, by far, when he earned 11.6 Point Shares.

No. 9: Don Edwards, G—64 PS (1976-1982)

A fifth rounder, he outdid expectations by a lot, really: a two-time All Star (1978, 1980), he won our Vezina in 1978 and also the Vezina vote in 1980. Overall, he posted a 156-83-61 record in the net for the Sabres in the regular season; he also managed a 13-18 record in the postseason over 5 playoff years. For five consecutive years (1978-1982), he earned double-digit Point Shares—and topped his peers in 1978 and 1982. Not bad!

No. 8: Dave Andreychuk, LW—68 PS (1982-1993, 2000-2001)

The No. 16 overall pick, he actually never made an All-Star team in his Hall of Fame career: his best season as a Sabre came in 1991-1992 when he notched 8.2 PS. Yet he did register 804 points in 837 regular-season games for Buffalo, but he could only manage 36 points in 54 playoff contests. He did lead the NHL with 28 power-play goals in 1992, though. Generally, he was a good-but-never-great player for this franchise.

No. 7: Mike Ramsey, D—69 PS (1980-1993)

Buffalo made him the No. 11 overall pick in 1979, but he opted to play for the U.S. in the 1980 Winter Olympics first—a smart choice, as he was never a star at the NHL level. But he did manage 924 PIMs in 911 regular-season games for the Sabres, and he added 158 more PIMs in 72 postseason matchups. In 1985, he led the league in defensive Point Shares (6.9), too. Overall, the team did not have a lot of success in his era.

No. 6: Bill Hajt, D—69 PS (1974-1987)

A Sabres lifer, he was a solid third rounder who gave his all on the ice every shift. He provided 18 PIMs in 17 playoff games during the team’s surprise run to the Cup Finals in 1975. Eight times in his career, he posted at least 5.5 DPS during a full season of play, peaking in 1977 with 6.6 DPS. He wasn’t the best at scoring, of course, as his main value came on the blue line. His plus-320 rating says a lot about his performance on ice.

No. 5: Rick Martin, LW—70 PS (1971-1981)

Also a member of that Cup Finals team in 1975, he was the No. 5 overall pick in the draft: he justified this with four consecutive All-Star designations (1974-1977). He also finished second in the 1972 Calder vote. He registered 695 points in 681 regular-season games for Buffalo, and in the postseason, he contributed 53 points in 62 contests. Three straight seasons (1974-1976), he put up 9-plus Point Shares as well. Good career!

No. 4: Phil Housley, D—74 PS (1982-1990)

He’s in the Hall after being the No. 6 overall draft pick; he was our Calder pick in 1983, too. Yet he didn’t make an All-Star team during his time with the Sabres. Go figure! But three times while in Buffalo, he did finish in the Top 10 voting for the Norris (1984, 1989, 1990); that is pretty sweet for his competitive era. Overall, he posted 558 points in the regular season (608 games) and 27 points in the playoffs (35 games).

No. 3: Ryan Miller, G—109 PS (2002-2014)

A big gap for this top trio of studs in Buffalo history, for sure, starting with this guy: just a fifth rounder for some reason, he made the 2010 All Star team and posted nine consecutive seasons (2006-2014) with the Sabres in double-digit Point Shares. He topped his peers in 2010 with 16.8 PS, winning the Vezina. His record with the club was 284-186-57 in the regular season and 25-22 in the postseason. Excellent stuff.

No. 2: Gilbert Perreault, C—113 PS (1970-1986)

The only original Sabre on this list, he is in the Hall after winning the Calder vote in 1971. He was a two-time All Star (1976-1977) who led the league in game-winning goals once (1977), as well. As the No. 1 overall pick for the franchise, he was pretty awesome: 1,326 points in 1,191 regular-season games (plus 103 points in 90 playoff contests). He also won the Lady Byng in 1973 and finished Top 10 in the Hart vote four times, too.

No. 1: Dominik Hašek, G—116 PS (1992-2001)

Was there any doubt he’d be the top Sabres player ever?! We gave him five Vezinas ourselves (1994–1995, 1997–1999), as he led Buffalo to the 1999 Cup Finals, too. He also won the Vezina vote in 2001, as well. He topped his peers in save percentage six consecutive seasons (1994-1999), while also posting the best PS marks at his position for five straight years (1995-1999). We could go on, but there’s little point, really.