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

[BertCorbeau]

This pick is like a perfect blend of Clarke and Trev

Trev get his big strong defenseman, but there is some upside that Clarke has sniffed out

 

[SprDaVE]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806885545957544259

 

[htpwn]

Certainly not comfortable for them to go off-the-board again -- maybe Wes is smarter than the other 31 teams? lol -- but it worked last year with Cowan.

I am also liking what I am reading so far on Danford. The lack of offence is clearly why he wasn't a consensus first-rounder but it sounds like his puck skills may be better than the numbers indicate.

Finally... never a bad idea to draft a RHD or an Ontario kid who bleeds blue and white.

 

[rdogg]

The more I read about this guy the more I like him.

He might not be flashy, but he looks like he could be a mean bastard to play against. Teammates all seem to love him

 

[TimeZone]

He better end up better than Solberg, Greentree and Emery.

 

[stats1]

That shift was f***ing beautiful. Warrior to a tee jeez! For sure he’ll be the captain in Oshawa soon

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

not the guy I would have taken but I am not going to question this pick after this same management group seem to have found a gem in Easton Cowan

 

[thusk]

Just fun to see people who probably never watch this guy playing try to tell he's a terrible pick or this player will be better.

We heard the same exact thing last year with Cowan and he maybe become the biggest steal of that 1st round.

 

[notbias]

Certainly not comfortable for them to go off-the-board again -- maybe Wes is smarter than the other 31 teams? lol -- but it worked last year with Cowan.

I am also liking what I am reading so far on Danford. The lack of offence is clearly why he wasn't a consensus first-rounder but it sounds like his puck skills may be better than the numbers indicate.

Finally... never a bad idea to draft a RHD.

To be fair, it sounds like the lack of offense is why Cowan wasn't a first rounder either.

Just from quickly looking at stats, I am assuming he is blocked from being on the top pairing much like Cowan was blocked from a bigger role.

I wouldn't be surprised if we see an uptick in the offense with a bigger role.

I've seen a few scouts before the draft say something along the lines of "wouldn't be surprised if he was a first rounder"

 

[BertCorbeau]

Bill Danford… already sounds like a 31 year old veteran defenseman (from the 80’s)

 

[PromisedLand]

He just had a Tavares level stoic interview

There is a "Lesson" to be learned in it somewhere

 

[Schenn]

If the guys at Hockey Prospect & Brock Otten like him, then I find the pick hard to argue with.

 

[stats1]

Just fun to see people who probably never watch this guy playing try to tell he's a terrible pick or this player will be better.

We heard the same exact thing last year with Cowan and he maybe become the biggest steal of that 1st round.

I’ll eat crow on that. I hated the Cowan pick and now you see why I’m not a scout lol. Wes hit a homerun there

 

[sxvnert]

Hoping he takes things personally like Cowan did when some called Cowan a bust

P.S.
View attachment 889083

So the fanbase thinking he's a bust motivated him. At this rate danford will be the next Lidstrom.

 

[Gabriel426]

He is a big kid

 

[capfit9]

Could be in the Brett Pesce mold

 

[Smif]

Can't be worse than the Korshkov pick.

 

[Jeffrey Pedler]

Someone I trust said we were going off the board, but I expected it to be elsewhere. Hoepfully it works out, they earned some leeway after Cowan, but seems more of a stay at home guy, and without stronger offensive game it's hard to be a top 4 guy.

Not hard at all. You need stay at home Dmen in the top 4.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Could be in the Brett Pesce mold

if he develops into that, that would be fantastic.

 

[ErnieLeafs]

Marner accidently lost the pick

Dropped it back in the neutral zone

 

[sxvnert]

Yawnford

 

[PromisedLand]

So the fanbase thinking he's a bust motivated him. At this rate danford will be the next Lidstrom.

Amen to that brother! We can use a Lidstrom picked 53rd overall

hockey gods owe us for all the pain they've caused us

 

[Jeffrey Pedler]

Did they not see anyone much better at 23. Why the trade.

They probably wanted the second round pick, that came with trading down.

 

[MarMarSab3]

I have no idea why but I like him.

 

[francis246]

He better end up better than Solberg, Greentree and Emery.

I’ll tell you straight up he is better than EJ Emery, people complaining about Danford’s offensive output but then in the same breath wanting Emery is hilarious. Emery is very raw, high potential upside but Danford is more polished and honestly just a warrior. Watching in the OHL playoffs I liked him. Didnt think he’d be a first rounder.

But if our Emery, Elick and Danford, Danford is the best puck handler of the three and the best defensively out of the three. That’s what we want right? Defenseman who can defend.

I like Solberg but besides the hitting, is there more that he brings? I find those 4 defenseman are pretty interchangeable and there’s a ton of others who will go in the second round who may end up being better than the 4 I named too.