Armed with some of the top young players in the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs ended a three-year Stanley Cup Playoff drought by finishing as the second wild card from the Eastern Conference last season.

Led by center Auston Matthews, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, the Maple Leafs had three of the top four rookie scorers in the League last season. Matthews, who won the Calder Trophy, was first with 69 points (40 goals, 29 assists). Forwards William Nylander (22 goals, 39 assists) and Mitchell Marner (19 goals, 42 assists) finished tied for third with 61 points each.

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With teams having a better idea of what to expect from the Maple Leafs' talented young core this season, the road to the playoffs may become more difficult. They've added some veteran pieces to help them not only get back there, but potentially go on a postseason run.

Here is what the Maple Leafs look like today:

Key arrivals

Patrick Marleau, F: He played the first 19 seasons of his NHL career for the San Jose Sharks before signing a three-year contract with an average annual value of $6.25 million July 1. Marleau, who turns 38 on Sept. 15, has 1,082 points (508 goals, 574 assists) in 1,493 NHL games. ... Dominic Moore, C: He is preparing for his second stint with the Maple Leafs (2007-09) after signing a one-year, $1 million contract July 1. Moore, who turns 37 on Aug. 3, had 11 goals and 14 assists in 82 games for the Boston Bruins last season. … Ron Hainsey, D: He signed a two-year, $6 million contract on July 1 after joining the Pittsburgh Penguins prior to the NHL Trade Deadline last season. Hainsey, 36, had eight points in 25 playoff games to help the Penguins win the Stanley Cup.

Video: F Patrick Marleau signs 3-year deal with Maple Leafs

Key departure

Brian Boyle, C: Acquired by the Maple Leafs prior to the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boyle became an unrestricted free agent and signed a two-year contract with the New Jersey Devils on July 1. The 32-year-old has 169 points (93 goals, 76 assists) in 624 NHL games for the Maple Leafs, Lightning, New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings.

Video: ANA@TBL: Boyle goes five-hole for eventual SO winner

On the cusp

Kasperi Kapanen, F: Scored two goals for the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs after having 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 43 AHL games. Kapanen, 21, has a strong chance to make the NHL roster out of training camp. … Jeremy Bracco, F: A second-round pick (No. 61) in the 2015 NHL Draft, Bracco split last season between Windsor and Kitchener in the Ontario Hockey League, and had 25 goals and 58 assists in 57 games. The 20-year-old had two goals and three assists in seven playoff games for Windsor. … Travis Dermott, D: Another second-round pick (No. 34) by the Maple Leafs in 2015, Dermott, 20, took a big step in his first season of professional hockey. He had 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) and 60 penalty minutes in 59 games for the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. He also had five points in 11 Calder Cup Playoff games. … Rinat Valiev, D: The 22-year-old made his NHL debut last season and was held without a point in 10 games. A third-round pick (No. 68) in the 2014 NHL Draft, Valiev had 13 points and 79 penalty minutes in 47 games for the Marlies. … Andrew Nielsen, D: Entering his second full season as a professional, Nielsen (6-foot-3, 207 pounds) had 14 goals, 25 assists and 82 penalty minutes in 74 games for the Marlies. The 20-year-old was selected by the Maple Leafs in the third round (No. 65) of the 2015 draft.

What they still need

Another defenseman to help them become more structurally sound in their own zone. The Maple Leafs allowed 234 goals last season (22nd in the NHL), a statistic that will need to improve if they hope to build on what they accomplished last season.

Pete Jensen's fantasy focus

The Maple Leafs had the best rookie core in the League last season with Matthews, Marner and Nylander, and have a chance to take a further step forward fantasy-wise. An often-forgotten name among that group is defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, who sustained a concussion late in the season but has enormous potential playing on the first power-play unit with his fellow second-year players and Marleau this season. Zaitsev's 36 points were third among rookie NHL defensemen (Zach Werenski, 47; Brady Skjei, 39), and his 12 power-play points were second (Werenski, 21). Zaitsev is a fantasy breakout candidate who should be available outside the top 100 in a non-keeper format.

Video: TOR@LAK: Zaitsev beats Quick through traffic in front

Projected lineup

Patrick Marleau -- Auston Matthews -- William Nylander

James van Riemsdyk -- Tyler Bozak -- Mitchell Marner

Zach Hyman -- Nazem Kadri -- Connor Brown

Leo Komarov -- Dominic Moore -- Matt Martin

Jake Gardiner -- Nikita Zaitsev

Ron Hainsey -- Morgan Rielly

Martin Marincin -- Connor Carrick

Frederik Andersen

Curtis McElhinney