2002–03 Buffalo Sabres season
The 2002–03 Buffalo Sabres season was the 33rd season of operation for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on May 22, 1970. The 72 points accumulated in the regular season was the lowest total for the franchise since the 1986–87 season.Off-season
Regular season
Final standings
Schedule and results
Playoffs
The Sabres failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.Regular season
;Scoring
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
| LW | 79 | 26 | 49 | 75 | 20 | -3 | 11 | 1 | 3 |
| C | 66 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 86 | -5 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| RW | 68 | 21 | 14 | 35 | 30 | -2 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| RW | 76 | 14 | 21 | 35 | 44 | -14 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| C | 68 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 20 | -13 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| C/LW | 74 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 40 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| LW | 78 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 38 | -8 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| LW | 49 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| C | 80 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 32 | -28 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| D | 65 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 57 | -7 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| D | 70 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 85 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| D | 65 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 20 | -8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| C | 79 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 146 | -4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| D | 69 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 26 | -3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| D | 46 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 28 | -3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 14 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| RW | 44 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 23 | -2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| RW | 35 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 21 | -12 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| D | 50 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 63 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LW | 58 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 178 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LW | 17 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 59 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 49 | -16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 36 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 16 | -7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 14 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 29 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LW | 25 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 17 | -4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| RW | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| RW | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 54 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| RW | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| RW | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 92 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
;Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T/OT | GA | GAA | SO | SA | SV | SV% |
| 3170 | 54 | 17 | 28 | 6 | 135 | 2.56 | 4 | 1468 | 1333 | .908 |
| 912 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 40 | 2.63 | 1 | 410 | 370 | .902 |
| 891 | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 36 | 2.42 | 1 | 411 | 375 | .912 |
| Team: | 4973 | 82 | 27 | 45 | 10 | 211 | 2.55 | 6 | 2289 | 2078 | .908 |
Awards and records
Awards
Transactions
Roster
Draft picks
Buffalo's draft picks at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team |
| 1 | 11 | Keith Ballard | | University of Minnesota |
| 1 | 20 | Daniel Paille | | Guelph Storm |
| 3 | 76 | Michael Tessier | | Acadie-Bathurst Titan |
| 3 | 82 | John Adams | | Boston College |
| 4 | 108 | Jakub Hulva | | HC Vitkovice Jr. |
| 4 | 121 | Marty Magers | | Omaha Lancers |
| 6 | 178 | Maxim Shchevyev | | Elemash Elektrostal |
| 7 | 208 | Radoslav Hecl | | Slovan Bratislava |
| 8 | 241 | Dennis Wideman | | London Knights |
| 9 | 271 | Martin Cizek | | Slavia Prague Jr. |
