1978 NHL Draft
Larry Playfair in the 1978 NHL Draft
Buffalo Sabres selected Larry Playfair 13th overall in the 1978 NHL Draft.
It was the first of the 9 picks Buffalo Sabres made in the draft. Of the 234 players selected in 1978, 95 have played in the NHL regular season. His 688 games put him 18th in the class.
- Overall pick
- 13
- Round and pick
- Round 1, pick 13
- Drafting team
- BUFBuffalo Sabres
- Date
- Age at the draft
- 19 years
The picks around it
Picks 10–16 in the 1978 draft
- 10Tim HigginsR706 GP · 352 PCHIChicago Blackhawks
- 11Brad MarshD1086 GP · 198 PAFMAtlanta Flames
- 12Brent PetersonC620 GP · 213 PDETDetroit Red Wings
- 13Larry PlayfairD688 GP · 120 PBUFBuffalo Sabres
- 14Daniel LucasR6 GP · 1 PPHIPhiladelphia Flyers
- 15Steve TambelliniC553 GP · 310 PNYINew York Islanders
- 16Al SecordL766 GP · 496 PBOSBoston Bruins
Games and points are NHL regular season to date.
Place in the draft class
Where he came in the 1978 class
13th
of 234 players selected
4th
of 63 defensemen selected
Counted in draft order across the whole draft. The position is the one listed at the draft.
First off the board
- 1Bobby SmithC1077 GP · 1036 PMNSMinnesota North Stars
- 2Ryan WalterC1003 GP · 646 PWSHWashington Capitals
- 3Wayne BabychR519 GP · 438 PSTLSt. Louis Blues
- 4Bill DerlagoC555 GP · 416 PVANVancouver Canucks
- 5Mike GillisL246 GP · 76 PCLRColorado Rockies
- 6Behn WilsonD601 GP · 359 PPHIPhiladelphia Flyers
- 7Ken LinsemanC860 GP · 807 PPHIPhiladelphia Flyers
- 8Danny GeoffrionR111 GP · 52 PMTLMontréal Canadiens
- 9Willie HuberD655 GP · 321 PDETDetroit Red Wings
- 10Tim HigginsR706 GP · 352 PCHIChicago Blackhawks
+ 224 more
After the draft
The road to the NHL
Larry Playfair made his NHL debut on November 23, 1978, 161 days after the draft.
688
Games
26
Goals
94
Assists
120
Points
NHL regular season to date.
The team's draft
Buffalo Sabres picks in the 1978 draft
- 13Larry PlayfairD688 GP · 120 PBUFBuffalo Sabres
- 32Tony McKegneyL912 GP · 639 PBUFBuffalo Sabres
- 49Rob McClanahanC224 GP · 101 PBUFBuffalo Sabres
- 66Mike GazdicDBUFBuffalo Sabres
- 82Randy IrelandG2 GP · 0 WBUFBuffalo Sabres
- 99Cameron MacgregorLBUFBuffalo Sabres
- 116Dan EastmanCBUFBuffalo Sabres
- 133Eric StrobelCBUFBuffalo Sabres
- 150Eugene O'SullivanCBUFBuffalo Sabres