LED plus Maglite is an instant win because you know it means quality. That is why I recommend the Maglite LED 3-Cell D Battery.
I have been around Maglites for years, and owned and used several different types. Maglite is, if not the best, one of the best flashlight companies around, period.
LEDs have also been the best lights, pretty much, since they were invented by GE. I have loved LEDs as general lights since before the compact fluorescent craze set them back several years. LED lights are stronger, lighter, produces less heat, lasts longer, and are safer for you and the environment than any other type of light.
So when I saw there were LED Maglites, I put away my old ones and immediately ordered them. I heard at one point these were not great, but have been fixed in recent years. I only learned about them a couple of years ago, I was still happily using the old incandescent lights.
Which Maglite should I buy?
I think the answer is easily the D-Cell sized Maglites. Preferably the 3 D-Cell.
My reasoning is kind of simplistic. It is a great form factor for most hands to hold on to. It is has a little heft to it so you aren’t swinging it around everywhere as your hands twitch so it forces you to be specific about what you do.
The D-Cell sized lights are also super durable, and with the amount of power they store lasts a LONG time. Also if you need to use that durability for other things, they will do that too.
Plus one of the most important things is the lights are super bright. I can shine it on my neighbors house 300 feet away and see what is happening in their yard. This is great when checking for predators at night.
I just wish they made a 6-Cell version of these.

How many flashlights to buy?
At least 1.
I also try to have one at each exit in my house, and I have these D-Cell Maglite Mounting Brackets for quick access to a lite on the door I am heading out.
I also recommend one for each vehicle, but I haven’t found a good way I like to secure it inside the car. So I keep removing them, and they don’t make it back for a long time.
Conclusion
To be honest it is crazy how often you use a flashlight, especially in the winter, that once I started having one on hand most of the time I wondered what I ever did before.
So to wrap it up I recommend the Maglite LED 3-Cell D Battery for the light, and to mount the light. I recommend D-Cell Maglite Mounting Brackets