Based solely on what I read here, and watching him play for the Sabres, it seems he does have the skill, but lacks the motivation to some extent. Sure, not all players develop at the same rate, but I can't imagine his coaches have not told him that he needs to engage more, get into the dirty area more, hound the puck carrier, create turnovers and use his speed to create odd-man rushes. If they haven't, shame on them, but I feel he already knows what he needs to do, and it's concerning to me.
Yes, he started playing much better at the end of the year, but can anyone get the message across to him? It's now or never. How long until we should cut ties with him, if he cannot produce at the NHL level? I'm willing to give him more time, but how long?