Who will the Toronto Maple Leafs draft at No. 4?

With the Toronto Maple Leafs set to embark on a lengthy and “painful” rebuild, they can’t afford to whiff on the highest pick the team has had in 26 years.

Fortunately for the tortured members of Leafs Nation, the top end of the draft is loaded with franchise-altering talent up front and on the back end making it tough to strike out at No. 4.

The question now becomes one of direction.

Do the Maple Leafs try and land a No. 1 centre they’ve been lacking since Mats Sundin skated off to Vancouver? Do they build from the blue line out and target a franchise defenceman? Do they just pick the best player available regardless of position?

The answers to those questions will depend largely on what Arizona does with the third pick, but given what’s available the Leafs are going to add a central piece of their future regardless of what direction they go.

Here are five players the Leafs could target with the fourth-overall pick:

Dylan Strome

The only way to acquire a No. 1 franchise centre in the salary cap era is through the draft, and Toronto may have a shot at one in Dylan Strome.

A complete package of size, smarts and skill, Strome is exactly the type of prospect the Leafs are lacking within their system.

The Mississauga, Ont., native could be off the board by the time Toronto is on the clock but if by chance he is still available at No. 4, it would be tough for Shanahan an co. not to take him.

Mitch Marner

When it comes to pure skill, Mitch Marner might be second only to McDavid in this draft class.

He’s a magician with the puck on his stick and is a threat every time he is on the ice. And as good as he is with the puck, Marner’s defensive game is also quite strong. By all accounts he possess the character the Leafs will be looking for in a franchise cornerstone.

Noah Hanifin

As we’ve seen with recent Stanley Cup champions, it’s hard to win in this league without a stud on the blue line, and Noah Hanifin could be that player for Toronto.

The top-ranked defenceman excels in all facets of the game and appears to have the physical and mental tools required to be a true No. 1 on the back end. In time, Hanifin could give the Maple Leafs one of the most dynamic D-pairings in the league playing alongside Morgan Rielly.

Ivan Provorov

It’s unlikely that the Maple Leafs will look beyond the previously mentioned players with their pick, but Ivan Provorov might not be too far behind those three.

The Yaroslavl, Russia, native has all the tools you would look for in a top-end defenceman: elite offensive skills, intelligence and physicality needed to shut down the opposition.

Mathew Barzal

If it wasn’t for a broken knee cap that kept him out of action for 28 games, there’s a good chance Mathew Barzal would be pushing to go in the top-5 of the draft.

Barzal has the speed, hands and vision the Maple Leafs are looking for and projects to be an impact top-two playmaking centre at the next level. The Leafs could certainly use more players like that in the pipeline.

So what do you think? Who should the Leafs draft? Or, should they draft at all? Make your pick in the poll below: