Prospect Info: [2024] 1st rd selection - #31 OA - RD, Ben Danford - Oshawa Generals, OHL (6′2″/191lb) --Signed to ELC

[uncleben]

You forgot Liljegren and Sandin. It's actually 6 of 19 picks from the first two rounds being defensemen, which isn't abnormal.

The 5 years before that we drafted Rielly, Finn, Percy, Blacker, and Schenn in the first two rounds

I think what's more telling is that before Danford last year we have to go back to Sandin and Durzi in 2018 to find a top pick being used on D.
That's a long stretch, and all the other D prospects pretty much aged out by then.

I personally don't really think Danford was the player to necessarily break that selection-drought, but we could really use a successful top D pick

 

[Dekes For Days]

I think what's more telling is that before Danford last year we have to go back to Sandin and Durzi in 2018 to find a top pick being used on D.

I think that's because we had just used our 1st and 2nd in 2017 and 2018 on defensemen, and our forward prospects were pretty depleted after graduations. Technically, Niemela was 64th overall in that timeframe, which was an early 3rd at the time, but would be a 2nd round pick today.

 

[Donnie740]

It was a big game in Oshawa tonight with playoff-like intensity between two of the top teams in the OHL as London came to town.

Leafs President Brendan Shanahan was in the press box watching a pair of the Leafs top prospects go head to head. Even Fraser Minten was in the crowd watching his two buddies square off.

Unfortunately for Danford, he had his worst game of the season. It was obvious right from the beginning of the game that London was targeting Danford with big hits on the forecheck. He took two or three crunching checks early on, including one from Cowan that laid him out. Danford got up and immediately took a dumb penalty for a retaliation cross check.

I mentioned previously that Danford takes more punishment than he dishes out. He just doesn’t have that nasty streak in him to dish out some dirty payback when the refs aren’t looking. I’m not sure if he’ll ever develop that in time.

Then in overtime, Oshawa’s two forwards literally crashed the net and were tied up in the crease with a London player when Danford decided to gamble and pinch on a loose puck in the corner. It was a gamble that he didn’t really have much chance of winning. Cowan was leaking out of the zone and of course Danford lost the gamble as the puck was chipped ahead to Cowan who went in on a clear cut breakaway to end the game.

I felt terrible for Benny, especially seeing him doubled over his stick with his head down because he knew he’d screwed up. And with his boss in attendance to make matters worse. Granted, he was in a tough situation either way on that final play. If he had backed off, it would have been a sure 2-on-1 for London - - which is almost as bad as the breakaway.

Going to be interesting to see what happens with Danford and Cowan this week.