It goes deeper than this I fear. But your on the right track. Culture is still a huge problem it appears. Any player on the Sabres that accepts the effort and commitment levels of the Boston and Colorado games need to go ASAP. Just point blank unacceptable.
As for Toronto and Mathews, Marner, Tavares and the surrounding talent, I am now fully tilted to the very strong possibility that the next 10 to 12 years are now a lost cause for the Sabres.
As it stands today, the rebuild has been a complete disaster. Early indications are the Culture and absence of elite high end talent are the foundational problems. Just my opinion, but I don't see Buffalo having the ability to win a playoff series in the next 6 years or so, if they even make the playoffs. The Eastern Conference just has to many teams more talented and committed than Buffalo.