I'm writing this with the assumption that the Leafs will hold onto pick #17. Lou and team have stated several times that the Leafs pick who they think is the BPA when they draft. If two players are of seemingly equivalent value, then they will consider positional needs. This makes sense on many levels and I don't understand why some people will be pissed if the Leafs don't select a RHD just because we need one right now. Very few D-men drafted in the 1st round play a full year (let's say 50 games) in the NHL 0-1 years after their draft, and usually not ones picked around #17. Since 2013:

Seth Jones(#4) - 0 years

Rasmus Ristolainen(#8) - 1 year

Nikita Zadorov(#16) - 1 year

Aaron Ekblad(#1) - 0 years

Noah Hanafin(#5) - 0 years

Ivan Provorov(#7) - 1 year

Zach Werenski(#8) - 1 year

Jakob Chychrun(#16) - 0 years*

*Chychrun fell to 16, was ranked higher.

So when most D-men make the NHL (2 years later), our team might instead be starving for a left winger, for example. Maybe both Rosen and Borgman become top 4 D-men. Maybe Dermott's game transitions very well to the NHL level and he exceeds all expectations. Since we don't know what our team will look like by the time the #17 pick is ready to join it, should we really take a risk on a defenseman with less potential than an available forward because they would be a better fit on our roster 3 years from now if no other changes were made to it?

Before I give my answer, let's look at what that scenario might actually look like at the 2017 NHL draft. I've researched different scouting rankings (McKeens, ISS, Button, etc.) and there is a strong lack of consensus on who the best prospects are after the top 9. I'll make the case that there are 11 players who I just cannot see slipping all the way to 17:

Patrick, Hischier, Heiskanen, Vilardi, Makar, Mittlestadt, Glass, Tippett, Necas, Pettersson, Liljegren.

For simplicity, I'll assume that's the top 11. So you could make a wishlist of 6 other guys and one of them for sure can be a Maple Leaf. But who should you have on that list, and how should you order it? Some names to definitely consider:

Valimaki (D), Suzuki (C), Andersson (C), Foote (D), Brannstrom (D), Tolvanen (W). HM: Vesalainen (W), Yamamoto (C), Rasmussen (C), Poehling (C). This is my subjective list, and if picks 12-16 go Valimaki, Suzuki, Andersson, Foote, Brannstrom, I'm hoping for Tolvanen over everyone else, including defensemen, such as Hague. Of course if Yamamoto is picked over Valimaki, Foote or Brannstrom I'd take that D-man over Tolvanen. But because I think each of them is the better prospect than him, not because we need a D-man.

In my opinion, Tolvanen (or a different forward on the list above) would be more likely to help us acquire a top 4 d-man in the time that we need one than a guy like Hague is to be filling that role. We'll only have so many top 6 forward spots (3 of which should be locked for years), so if we have to include an A-forward-prospect in a deal for an established RHD, then that's how we'll get our guy.

Of course it would be nice to have high-end prospects at both forward and defense but unless one of Valimaki, Foote or Brannstrom fall to us I think the next best defenseman would be leapfrogging a half-dozen guys if they're taken at 17. Adding as much value as possible to the organization at the draft is the goal, and that should only equate to a D-man being picked at 17 if one of those guys is passed on.