Leafs D on game one last year was.
Rielly Brodie
McCabe Klingberg
Gio Lilly.
Gio was toast... Brodie quickly became toast, and Klingberg was terrible.
Somehow people think that any combination of Rielly, Tanev, McCabe, Lilly, OEL, Benoit, Hakanpaa isn't a better D, in almost every way?
The forwards... well Bertuzzi, Gregor are gone, and Reaves likely doesn't start many games.
Robertson, Holmberg and McMann didn't start game one... maybe Robertson will be back... or another similar body comes back in a trade. Knies, Holmberg and McMann have a year under their belts... Maybe Cowan and Grebyonkin challenge for a spot. Minten started the year with the Leafs, but I'd guess time in the AHL is better for him.
I think the D will be quite a bit better this year, the forwards are likely as good as what started game one, and hopefully the coaching staff is better. I expected more changes, but I don't think this team on paper is any worse than last year, and is miles better in the D core. Nobody knows how this plays out, until the puck drops... and there are three months left, and there could still be changes.