The real issue IMO is not the internal growth but how Granato has constantly talked about how defense is easier to teach. We saw at the very end of the year Buffalo suddenly could play a tight checking game. Were there issues still, sure, but the comparison that Tage Thompson is Ovechkin are a little off. Tage was bad but not because he wasn't trying. Now, I personally think that Buffalo will be okay but maybe not. The issue with these predictions is that they are based on last year, but that's over and done with. For example the same series predicts Detroit is an 85 pt team. In a lot of ways the Sabres are comparable but in reality they aren't really.
The other thing I will toss out is that Buffalo has a major advantage over a team like Detroit. No one is really new and they all have bonded and know what the endgame is. I also think that any model struggles with young player improvement, for example in the Athletic piece they talk about how Cozens is bottom 30 defensively but part of that is the Sabres system and part of that is his youth.
All that said, I think it is a fair look at the flaws this team may show. Can they play a tighter game defensively? Granato would need to be better at that aspect. To me the shooting stuff is of less concern, I feel as though xGF has lost the true meaning. It is comparing an average to something but it is often used to say "this person should be here at this average so they are overachieving" but some guys are always going to better than average shooters.
Lots of questions for this team. They have a lot of work to do.