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Ben Danford Sees Newly-Acquired Maple Leafs Defenseman as a Major Inspiration
Photo credit: Sportsnet
Top Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford admits that he actually models his game after a guy who he'll have a chance to learn from at training camp in Toronto.
When the Leafs selected Ben Danford 31st overall at the 2024 NHL Draft, they were excited to get a smart, competitive right shot defenseman with all the tools to anchor a blueline in the future.
What really stood out to the Leafs during the interview process was not only how well Danford had carried himself, but also just how much the hometown kid models his game after their newly acquired top-pairing defenseman Chris Tanev.
"One guy I compared myself to at the draft was Tanev actually. He's a guy who can skate well and break out the puck and block a lot shots, play that style of game. It should be cool to meet a guy you kind of compare yourself to in the draft process so I'm looking forward to that for sure," Danford said in a recent interview on the Leafs Morning Take podcast.
Danford also told Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill that his plan for training camp is to perform as well as he can in hopes of sticking around as long as he can to feed off of and learn as much as he can from the development staff and the players at the NHL level.
Toronto has needed a quality defense prospect with Danford's skills for quite some time. He's already safe, big, effective and responsible in his own end. He skates well, can throw a hit and has a growing offensive game that is currently a little underrated.
Now Danford has the opportunity to learn from one of the best defensive defensemen in the league in Chris Tanev for years to come. Also, having the opportunity to work on his offensive game and learn a few tricks from Morgan Rielly will be an asset for the young defenseman as well.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 24 | 632 ANSWERS Ben Danford Sees Newly-Acquired Maple Leafs Defenseman as a Major Inspiration Which defensemen do you want Danford to learn from most? | ||
| Chris Tanev | 321 | 50.8 % |
| Morgan Rielly | 142 | 22.5 % |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | 78 | 12.3 % |
| Jake McCabe | 91 | 14.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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