There have been many great professional hockey stars to play the sport.  However, if I were to make a top ten list of the best Sabres in the team's history, it would look something like this:

10. Rob Ray

Rob Ray wasn't the greatest scorer in Sabres history by any means. In his 13 seasons with the Sabres, he scored 40 goals. But it was his role as an enforcer that left a mark on the Sabres and this team's history.

He was certainly one of the most popular Sabres on the team and in the community. And when Dominik Hasek left, you could argue that Ray was the face of the franchise. Again, is he the most talented and most skilled? No. But he meant a lot more to this team than some other players have over the years.

9. Jim Schoenfeld

Schoenfeld spent 11 seasons with the Sabres and served as team captain at one point during that run. Like Ray, Schoenfeld wasn't a scorer but he will live in immorality because of his check that sent Wayne Cashman from the boards. I placed "The Schoe" ninth for a reason.  Despite his top ten material, he shouldn't be in the top five. 

8. Danny Gare

Danny Gare has to be in this top ten. Gare spent parts of eight seasons (seven full seasons) with the Sabres, scoring 50 or more goals on two occasions. In 1979-80, Gare led the league in goals with 56. He scored 30 or more goals five times with the Sabres and was a consistent scoring threat for the team.

7. Dale Hawerchuck

As great a player as Hawerchuk was, the team never really got anywhere until Pat LaFontaine joined him in the lineup. Hockey fans can remember a ton of beautiful passes and goals, but will always feel disapointed by his four-year tenure with the team.

6. Dave Andreychuk

Andreychuk scored 368 goals in a Sabres uniform, which is third on the all-time list behind Gilbert Perreault and Rick Martin.

Andreychuk was one of the greatest goal scorers the Sabres have ever had, scoring 20 or more goals 11 times, 30 or more goals seven times and eclipsing the 40 goal mark on two occasions. Even later in his career when he rejoined the Sabres, he still managed to reach 20 goals.

5. Alexander Mogilny

Mogilny did not have the longevity with the Sabres that most of the others on this list enjoyed, but he was still "Alexander the Great." He spent six seasons with the Sabres, scoring 211 goals and adding 233 assists. He was what Maxim Afinogenov is now, only with a proven scoring touch and a playmaking ability matched by no one since.

4. Pat LaFontaine

With LaFontaine being injury-riddled at different points during his career, when you see what he did when he played you wonder what might have been.

In his first year with the team (1991-92), LaFontaine played in only 57 games but scored 93 points (46G+47A) while adding 11 points (8G+3A) in the playoffs. In 1992-93, LaFontaine had the best year of his career.

In the same year that saw Mogilny score 76 goals, LaFontaine racked up 53 goals, 95 assists and 148 points while adding another 12 points (2G+10A) in the playoffs.

After two shortened seasons for LaFontaine, he came back in 1995-96 to play 76 games and score 91 points (40G+51A) in the final year the Sabres played in the Aud. If it wasn't for injuries, LaFontaine could have been at the top of this list. He was that good.

3. Rick Martin

The second member of the "French Connection" to make this list. Martin played parts of 10 seasons with the Sabres (nine full seasons) and put up one of the best careers a Sabre has ever had.

He scored 40 or more goals five times, including two years scoring 52 goals back-to-back (1973-74 and 1974-75). Martin ranked third on the Sabres all-time points list and is second on the franchise's all-time goals list with 382.

Martin was not only one of the best Sabres of all-time, but he was one of the better players of his era. He was an NHL All-Star and also holds the team record for most hat tricks scored in a career.

2. Dominik Hasek

It is hard to top the career Dominik Hasek had with the Buffalo Sabres. He won six Vezina trophies and two Hart (MVP) trophies as a Sabre, while also winning a gold medal with his native Czech Republic in 1998 and taking the Sabres to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999.

Hasek holds the team record for wins (234) and shutouts (55). He also set single-season team records for shutouts (13) and goals against average (1.87).

Hasek was the rock for this franchise during his nine seasons here. He carried the Sabres on his back all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. I wouldn't be surprised to see number 39 hanging in the rafters at some point.

1. Gilbert Perreault

This one is automatic. The first player in team history is also the best. Perreault has played more games than any other Sabre (1,196), he has scored the most goals (512), has the most assists (814) and the most points (1,326).

He was the core of the Sabres and the center of the "French Connection." He was very skilled and was one of the best players of his time. He is a Hall of Famer and is without question the best Sabre in history.

Maybe with some of the young talent the Sabres have (Derek Roy? Thomas Vanek?), we will see someone come close to the greatness displayed by Perreault. But for now, Perreault is the greatest Buffalo has ever seen.