The proof won’t be in the DNA pudding for quite a while yet.

But 153 days after their Game 7 lineup exited meekly in the playoffs against Florida, a series they almost led 3-0, there are four new Maple Leafs in Wednesday’s season opener, one significant deletion up front and a whole lot of talk about this edition being more battle tested for spring.

General manager Brad Treliving talked of changing the DNA of a club stuck on two series wins in the Auston Matthews era, and after a summer of headline-grabbing deals and a few depth tweaks, the new Leafs launch against the Montreal Canadiens.

At morning skate, defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson claimed the positives were already evident last year, obscured by that 6-1 elimination whacking that resulted in them being booed out of Scotiabank A

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