‘The Sabres have strengths in every area: top-end scoring, offensive depth, defensive defensemen, scoring blueliners and an elite goalie. I am a little concerned about this team’s relative weaknesses on the penalty kill, unless Regehr can camouflage a dearth of quality checking forwards beyond Paul Gaustad. For that reason, I wonder if the Sabres might struggle a bit in the playoffs. That being said, their depth and talent will prompt many to predict that they’ll claim their second division title in three years. On paper, it’s hard to argue against that conventional wisdom, but we’ll see if the team gels amid heightened expectations.’