Pair of Maple Leafs Prospects Trending in Opposite Directions Following World Juniors Summer Showcase

Over the past week, teams from Sweden, Finland, Canada and the United States faced off in Minnesota for the World Junior Summer Showcase. In other words, it was a scouting combine for the coaches of each team as they look to put together gold medal winning teams for December's tournament.

For the Leafs, they were represented by Victor Johansson, who skated for Sweden, and Ben Danford, who skated for Canada.

Johansson, the Swedish fourth-round pick by the Leafs in 2024, received heaps of praise from scouts, coaches and other players for going from an unknown prospect to having a standout tournament.

The same cannot be said for the Leafs' 2024 first-rounder Danford. While he didn't have any glaring issues, Daily Faceoff's Steven Ellis noted that although he is known for his steady defensive play, he didn't have any standout moments.

Ellis also noted that Danford could slot anywhere from the fifth or sixth defenceman on Team Canada right down to the eighth.

The Athletic's Scott Wheeler had predicted a similar fate for Danford when projecting Team Canada's lineup. However, both were impressed with the development and play of Johansson and have him securely slotted into Sweden's top-four on the back end.

It's an unfortunate situation for Danford to be in, given that he isn't the flashiest or most offensive blueliner, but he has to be nearly perfect in that case defensively to catch the eye of Team Canada's coaching staff.

Johansson, on the other hand, has quickly developed into an offensively gifted defenceman and certainly a more confident one after adding 20 pounds to his frame this off-season.

Things can change quickly at the junior level, but at this point, it's surprising to see Johansson a lock for Sweden and Danford on bubble - but that neither will be a guarantee until rosters are finalized on Christmas Day.