Ben Danford Heaps Praise on Fellow Maple Leafs Prospect After Impressive Summer Showcase
Photo credit: RDS
Selected in the same draft, Leafs prospects Ben Danford and Victor Johansson might be seeing more of each other after an impressive World Junior Summer Showcase.
With the World Junior Summer Showcase coming to an end, we were given a snippet of what's to come for the 50th anniversary of the World Junior Championship this year, including solid performances from two budding prospects in the Toronto Maple Leafs pipeline.
Defensive prospects Ben Danford and Victor Johansson both had great showcases this summer, leading many to believe that both should have a spot locked up when the hockey world reconvenes in Minnesota later this year.
When the two went head to head earlier this week, Johansson got on the scoresheet with a goal that highlighted his heavy shot; one that left the Swedish defenseman chuckling and Danford extremely impressed, as reported by TSN's Mark Masters.
I didn't see much, actually. It was a rocket. I was a little bit shocked when I saw it go in, actually. Just trying to shoot as hard as I could, and great screen by Jack Berglund on the goalie and it went in.
When asked about his Swedish counterpart, Danford had nothing but complimentary things to say and is excited about what the future holds after Johansson's quick development from draft day onwards.
Vic looked really good. Poised with the puck, making some really nice plays. He had that goal, I think he got credit for that one. Since when I first saw him when we both got drafted last year's development camp, he's come a long way already. I can't wait to see where he goes.
Drafted together in 2024, big things are expected after solid draft+1 seasons in the books for the duo. Danford will head back to Oshawa, where he'll anchor the back-end for a team that will be looking to avenge their championship defeat. Comparatively, Johansson hopes to stick with Leksands IF of the SHL after playing a few years in their junior circuit.
The future is bright for the Leafs with these two leading the charge. Hopefully they both get a chance to play in this year's rendition of the World Junior Championships, but it starts with how they perform in the first half of the 2025-26 season.
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily
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