Now, that's behind them. A slow start in 2015-16 eventually gave way to a strong second half in which they established a sense of identity and performed at a playoff pace. The expectation to begin this season, quite simply, is to pick up where they left off and improve from there.
"That's on us," Sabres captain Brian Gionta said. "There is no new system, there's no new style of play. Everybody knows it; everybody knows what's expected of them. That's where, coming out of camp , we want to kind of pick up where we left off at the end of last year with the success we had going down the stretch there. We want to get back to that as quickly as we can."
Gionta and Gorges, two of the veteran leaders on the team, were both happy with the condition in which their teammates have come to camp. Tyler Ennis is noticeably stronger. Sam Reinhart says he worked harder than he ever has before, and Robin Lehner lost so much weight during his first healthy summer in years that Gorges had to do a double-take to even recognize him.
Lehner took his commitment a step further when he gave up his spot Sweden's roster for the World Cup of Hockey in favor of spending as much time as possible with the Sabres training camp. After dealing with a concussion last summer, Lehner missed the majority of last season due to an ankle injury he sustained on opening night.
"It looks like a fun tournament and it would always be fun representing your country but this is more important to me right now in all honesty," Lehner said. "It's a big year for me personally but I think it's a very big year for our team. It's a season where we can start putting our mark in and do everything we can to start making the playoffs."
Watch: Robin Lehner | Kyle Okposo](https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/c-44793303) I Josh Gorges](https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/c-44793803) | Watch: Brian Gionta | Watch: Sam Reinhart | Watch: Tyler Ennis | Evander Kane](https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/c-44794403)
That seems to be a shared mentality. No played was required to show up prior to Wednesday, yet for the past two weeks the majority of the team has been participating in player-run practices at HarborCenter. Among those present has been Kyle Okposo, Buffalo's big prize in free agency, who said he's already learned a bit about his new team.
"Everyone works hard - really hard," Okposo said. "A lot of guys are staying on the ice late, trying to get better. Everybody's really focused on that work ethic and that's something that the coaching staff definitely stresses. I'm looking forward to that aspect of the team."
The informal skates also allowed Okposo an early chance to get acclimated to his new teammates, not that it should have been an issue. They said it time and time again last season, but the players reiterated it on Thursday: the players on this team are as close as any, a bond that contributes to their shared mentality.
"Our whole team is so close," Reinhart said. "Whether it's Brian Gionta or Jack [Eichel], we're all hanging out. We're close and we can all joke around with each other. This team is definitely the closest I've ever been on and I know there are a lot of other guys that would say that too and that says a lot."
Let's take a look at some of the other things we learned from the players who spoke on Thursday: