Exciting Announcement Drops Regarding Top Maple Leafs Prospect Ben Danford

Drafted 31st overall in this past off-season's entry draft, some questioned the Leafs' selection of hard-hitting, right-shot defenseman Ben Danford, given the fact that there were higher rated prospects still available.

The Leafs, however, wasted little time reassuring Danford that they wanted him to be a big part of the organization going forward, signing him to a 3-year entry-level deal less than two months after being drafted.

Over the course of the season, Danford has proven why the Leafs selected the Belleville, Ontario native when they did. Upon being drafted, the 19-year-old revealed that he tries to model his game after veteran Chris Tanev.

Named captain of the Oshawa Generals upon his return from Leafs training camp, Danford has made a name for himself, delivering thunderous hits while turning into a defensively reliable blueliner that can contribute offensively at times.

On Monday, as the OHL's season concluded, Danford received the Bobby Orr Award as the OHL's best defenseman. Danford was one of four Oshawa Generals to receive an award on Monday.

The 6'2, 192-pound blueliner set a career-high with 5 goals in 61 games with the Generals this past season, tallying a total of 25 points to go along with 68 penalty minutes.