Ben Danford is getting an early test, and it comes with some real weight behind it. The Maple Leafs have put him in the “A” group for Saturday night’s preseason opener against the Canadiens, which gives the young defender a legitimate shot to show he belongs in the mix this season.
Toronto’s split-squad setup means this won’t be the full regular-season group, but the lineup in the hometown game is still loaded. Gavin McKenna, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies and John Tavares are all set to be part of the “A” side, with Sergei Bobrovsky starting in goal. It will also be the first chance to see the booming shot from prized addition Darren Raddysh.
For Danford, though, the spotlight is different. He is one of six defensemen selected by Jim Hiller, joining Raddysh, Emil Andrae, Marshall Rifai, Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev on Toronto’s blue line.
Exactly where Danford fits remains unclear. McCabe and Tanev are expected to be paired together, while a look beside Raddysh would require one of them to work on the off side since both shoot right. Danford skated with Emil Andrae in practice, which makes that a logical possibility, even if nothing is locked in.
The Leafs are giving Danford a real chance to prove himself after a strong run of form. He’s coming off a Calder Cup win with the Toronto Marlies last season, and he also turned in a solid showing in his lone Prospect Showcase game. Still, the blue-line depth chart is crowded, and he’ll have to stand out to keep pushing forward.
Saturday’s matchup is a useful measuring stick. Even though Montreal isn’t dressing its full roster, Danford will still have to handle NHL-level names such as Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach, Josh Anderson and Mike Matheson. That’s a stiff enough assignment for a player trying to make his case.
If Danford can slow down the attack, hold his own in one-on-one battles and stay sharp defensively, it would go a long way. Any offense he chips in would be a bonus, but he is not being counted on to drive play next to Andrae.
For Toronto, this is also a chance to see where he fits in the bigger picture. He may not be ready to jump straight into the NHL, but the path is there for him to be one of the first names called if things go south. The fact that he made the “A” group over Dakota Mermis and Philippe Myers says Jim Hiller is at least willing to give him that look.
The biggest attention in the game will go to McKenna, Matthews, Bobrovsky and the rest of the headliners. But Danford may be the player with the most to gain from the night.
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Now that Tkachuk is with the Florida Panthers, even a harmless memory from those days has a little extra edge to it. Tkachuk has already joked about warning his old teammates against bringing back their celebration if the rivalry puts them on opposite sides in the NHL, which is exactly the kind of small detail that can give Leafs-Panthers matchups a little more bite this season. [Read more 🡒]