Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno were the two longest-tenured Buffalo Sabres players at the end of last season. Ennis was selected 26th overall by the Sabres in the 2008 draft. He was actually selected with the draft pick that was acquired in the Brian Campbell trade with the San Jose Sharks.
Ennis played 419 games with the Sabres. Scoring 97 goals and recording 236 points during his tenure. The 5’9” forward was a staple in the team’s top six during his eight seasons with the club. He was a three-time 20 goal scorer for the Sabres and was a dynamic player until he hit injury troubles. He finished his career ranked 32nd all-time in goals and 37th in points in Sabres history.
Ennis also had some highlight reel goals throughout his career. One of which is the no-look goal against the Montreal Canadiens in 2014.
One of the most memorable goals for me in Ennis career was the last big playoff goal in Sabres history. He scored the game winning goal in overtime of Game 5 against the Philadelphia Flyers in 2011. We all know the Sabres would go on to lose the next two games and haven’t been back to the postseason since.
Foligno wasn’t a high draft pick like Ennis. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL draft. Foligno burst onto the scene in the 2011-12 season. He recorded 13 points in 14 games. He never lived up to the hype he created in those 14 games, but was an effective player during his time with the Sabres.
He was the physical presence in the lineup on most nights and was a good leader in the room. Foligno had the ability to play on anywhere up and down the lineup. The big winger struggled with consistency at times, but had a career high last year scoring 13 goals during his final season in Buffalo. He played in a total of 347 games scoring 49 goals and 116 points.
Foligno was a fan favorite right out of the gate being born in Buffalo and the son of Sabres alumni Mike Foligno. He departed the city as a fan favorite and on some nights you wonder if the team misses his big body in the lineup.
Both Ennis and Foligno were important players during their careers with the Sabres. They were part of the core that led us through the dark years of losing, but were around long enough to be impact players during some playoff runs.
The two should receive a nice ovation tomorrow night in their return and rightfully so.