From Russia, Dmitri Kalinin was a First Round Pick in 1998 and was a regular blueliner for the Sabres two years later.

It is not typical for a hockey player to have his best season as a rookie, especially for non-Goalies, but this is the case for Defenseman Tyler Myers.

From Finland, Christian Ruuttu was a late-round pick in the 1983 Draft, and three years later, he debuted in the NHL, finishing sixth in Calder voting with a 65-Point season.

Ruuttu’s second season saw the Center reach career-highs with 26 Goals and 71 Points, and he was a surprise All-Star Selection.  Over the next two years, Ruuttu had an even 60 Points, though he dropped to 50 and 25 in the years afterward.  The Finnish star was dealt to the Winnipeg Jets after, with 331 Points for Buffalo.

While Ruuttu’s numbers are higher than many of the Sabres above him, it can’t be discounted that it happened during the high-scoring era of the 80s and early 90s.

A product of Michigan State, Jason Woolley was already established as a decent NHL Defenseman with experience with Washington, Florida, and Pittsburgh.  The Penguins shipped Woolley to Buffalo before the 1997-98 Season, and it was as a Sabre where the former Spartan was at his best.