There is one thing the Buffalo Sabres lack, physicality. People call them soft, and easy to play against. But you know what? Those people have a point. If you watch them, you rarely see a Sabres player throw a ton of hits. I will say, they do stick up for each other. But then again, every team does that. My point is that Buffalo doesn't play a physical style of hockey.
Then there's a team like the Florida Panthers. In case you didn't know, Florida is having another good season. If the season ended today, they would be the best team in the Atlantic Division. A huge reason why the Panthers are successful is their playstyle. They have talented players who can score, which the Sabres have. I know the offense is having a down season, but there's no denying the talent is there. However, the Panthers have something Buffalo doesn't, physicality. They have players who are not afraid to get in your face, and. throw the body around.
We all know the star power they have like Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, just to name a few. When it comes to physical play, Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Ryan Lomberg and other players contribute to getting under the skin of the opposition. When you have a team who can score, play good defense, have good goaltending and can have a mean streak at the same time, you're setting yourself up for success.
I don't think the Sabres will change up their style of play this deep into the season. They have 29 games left and are falling out of contention for a playoff spot. As for next season, try to bring in players who can play physical. They don't have to be productive when it comes to contributing offensively, but you need to get tougher to play against.
A lot can change between now and the offseason, but the Sabres have the fifth-most cap space in the NHL. Again, it'll change but the point is general manager Kevyn Adams should trade or sign players who can play a physical style of hockey. if there's one team Buffalo should model their game after, it's Florida.