Should the Toronto Maple Leafs Draft a Centre or a Defenceman?

The Toronto Maple Leafs are not going to get the incomparable Connor McDavid at this year's NHL draft, but they are going to get a blue-chip prospect. The draftee may even contend for a roster spot in 2015.

There are a number of excellent young prospects in this year's draft. In the No. 4 spot, or even higher, if they happen to move up via trade, the Leafs will get an impact NHL player.

Based on most rankings, it looks like the choice will come down to a defenceman or a centre. Conventional wisdom is that these are the two most important positions when drafting. The best teams are normally stacked at centre and on the point, and it is usually challenging to pry away No. 1 centres and top-pairing defenders, unless it is when they are well past their prime.

For three main reasons, I would argue that the Leafs should draft a centre in the upcoming draft.

1. Top Organizational Need is at Centre

With the Leafs holding the No. 4 pick in the upcoming draft, they are somewhat limited in who will be available. The consensus seems to be that Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will be the first two picks, and in that order.

While McDavid has had an exceptional playoff run in the OHL, with 42 points in 16 games, Eichel has done nothing to diminish his stock. The Leafs should be rattling the Buffalo Sabres' cage to see if they can get that No. 2 pick. 

Getting Eichel would be an excellent move for the Leafs. He's not McDavid, but he is an extremely talented player that would likely become the Leafs' No. 2 centre by next fall. In a year or two, he would be the Leafs' top pivot.

2. The Centre Position is Particularly Deep in the Entry Draft

If the Leafs cannot get Eichel, the focus must turn to Dylan Strome. Strome is a big, strong centre who should be an NHL star. He can improve his skating, but his reach, vision and passing prowess are already at the NHL level.

If Strome gets scooped up before No. 4, and the Leafs don't move up to get Eichel, Mitchell Marner is another talented pivot who should be available.

The London Knights star isn't a lock to be a centre, but if he had some big, strong-skating wingers alongside, he could be a force at the pro level. One-hundred-and-twenty-six points in your draft year in the very competitive OHL, speaks for itself.

3. A Team Cannot Have Too Many Centre Prospects

The bottom line is that no NHL team can have too many centre-ice prospects within the organization. The Leafs are not even close to achieving this. In fact, they currently do not have a single No. 1 pivot, with Tyler Bozak, arguably the team's best centre, being a second-line centre on average teams. On a top contender, he would be a third-line centre.

Nazem Kadri has a lot of promise, but it's time he started to deliver on that. He's good enough to be a consistent top-six forward. It remains to be seen if he can move to the next level. Peter Holland has promise but his ceiling might be as a second-line centre, at best.

Carter Verhaeghe and Frederik Gauthier have potential, but the team can add at least three or four more centres to develop in the next few years. William Nylander is listed as a centre, but he's more likely to be developed as an NHL winger.

The Leafs should be drafting a centre with the No. 4 overall pick. What say you Leafs fans?

All stats can be found on the OHL website unless noted otherwise.