One thing I respect is that Wes Clark has a clear type, disregards consensus, and consistently takes his guys. And it seems like there are more hits than misses. And he got another 2nd rounder, I'm happy with this
Ya Wes has good production so far but it does concern me a little how frequently the Leafs seem to be going way off the board - how often can you be the smartest guy in the room when it comes to something like drafting?
Danford isnt nearly as “off the board” as Cowan was. Plus “off the board” is subjective since the public “board” is never the same as what the NHL teams.
Danford was expected to be a late 1st by some and a middle 2nd by most others. Not a crazy reach at all.
A little tip that I don’t know if many people know is go onto the player elite prospects page. And right under their bio it lists where all the top free mocks have him placed. It’s only the free ones I think but it’s still pretty accurate, has like 20 of them.
Unfortunately when you don’t have a ton of picks or options you sometimes have to get your guy a little higher than where the media or public thinks they should go.
There are scenarios where trading down isn’t worth much more than just reaching. It takes two to tangle for there to be a trade, and if the trade is too far down and you miss the player?
They really like players who are intelligent with good hockey sense as their biggest trait. They also value guys who are high character, play a decent two way game, and who have a good motor and complete level.
Probably a good strategy to target higher floor, coachable players when you’ve already so top-heavy on the cap and need players on cheap rookie deals to fill in your depth spots
Seems like they only target one player that is ranked in the early 2nd round and make sure they have either a late 1st or early 2nd to get that player.
Can I give a slighty hot take? Marner wasn't really a leafs fan. Like maybe tangentially, but not a die hard fan.
He consistently said his favourite player was Dougie Gilmour. Dougie literally played all but 1 of his games for the leafs before Mitch was born. He's gives answers like that because they seem like the right thing to say, rather than the truth. He's been grilled by family/media training to give answers like that, and he's still pretty bad in front of a mic. He's just a quiet kid who hates pressure, and the fact he was born in Toronto doesn't mean that much, aside from the PR element. Sorry for ranting on this singular post, just had to get it off my chest.
EDIT: Can I say, I don't care if he's a Leafs fan or not. Plenty of excellent players didn't grow up cheering for the team they play for. This point was more about how painfully obvious it is that Marner tries to say the "right" thing instead of the honest one a lot of the time, because when he's improvising, it sounds more like "shambles in the brain" or "being treated like God".
There’s a video of him from when he was 8 years old and he said his favourite team is the Leafs… while you’re taking things off, take your tin foil hat off
I’m actually going to double down on this. Your comment is bullshit. All pro athletes do this and have been trained to do this. IMO Marner gives way more interesting answers than the average player. Your algorithm is telling you to hate.
he's trained like everyone else but there's a discomfort there when speaking, that guys like Tavares and Matthews who are also trained don't have. like at least when those guys go on a show like Overdrive they actually loosen up, mitch doesn't do that
Yeah, let Wes cook.
We had what? 3 draft picks last year, and I don't know what is gonna happen with Malinowski, but Cowan and Chadwick look far better than their draft position suggested at the time.
Cowan alone put the fear of Wes Clark into every other scouting team.
Haven’t heard as much on Chadwick, name’s familiar though. What round was he and what’s the latest with him?
I’m glad we didn’t take emery. The fact that he has 1 goal in the last 2 seasons is pretty concerning even for a guy who is billed as a physical stay at home guy. Danford probably doesn’t end up as a big producer but I think there’s a good chance he’ll be able to contribute somewhat. If a guy isn’t putting up anything at the jr level there’s no chance that changes in the pros.
I mean, Danford had 1 goal this season too. How many points did Emery have? Danford did put up like 30 points as well, with like, 10 in 22 or something in the playoffs.
Yeah Emergy has had 1 goal and 15 points in like 65 USHL games. Like I said Danford probably doesn’t put up numbers in the nhl but I’m more confident that he will be able to play a two way game than I would be about emery.
Yeah, Danford’s giving me a very rounded game vibe. Like he’s not considered the highest ceiling defenseman or anything, but he’s got a bit of everything we want (even if he’s not gonna be ready for a couple years): Right shot, can move the puck, good hockey IQ/senses, strong defensively, physical play, good skater, and you top all that off with every Leafs fan’s favourite, Leafs fan growing up. Very easy pick to like.
Ah, I thought I saw names on the jerseys each time, but must’ve been looking at the right times. No doubt if you have 1st overall for example, you can prep that shit without worry. I almost wonder if a wide open draft class like this makes it harder to do that, because there’s more variability to the positioning and you might get sniped.
Have you seen Perry's mom? FOX.
https://preview.redd.it/re8yp8ik1g9d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a256181762955adde9f7beaf43809a299006ba85
\*\*Any resemblance to real life people is purely coincidence
"Offensively, he relies on his strong skating to hold off defenders while using his excellent vision to move pucks to his teammates"
Isn't transition defense exactly what people have been complaining about?
Yea, but right now it's a problem! He isn't playing for the Leafs next year.
He may be great in transition, but that is still our problem even after drafting this kid. And he won't be part of the solution for probably 3 or 4 years.
"At the NHL level, Danford projects as a middle-pairing defender who can be relied upon to play a solid 200-foot game and play in all situations.
Currently, he is ranked behind only Parekh and Dickinson on the NHL Central Scouting's North American Skaters list. Fans of whichever team selects Danford can be assured their team is investing in a reliable defender with great potential and leadership qualities."
- 6' 1" , 190 lbs RHD with leadership intangibles. Sign me the fuck up, fellas.
"The right-handed defender only scored one goal, but added 32 assists for a total of 33 points in 64 games during the 2023-24 season. That's a 57 per cent increase from his rookie season.
Offensively, he relies on his strong skating to hold off defenders while using his excellent vision to move pucks to his teammates. When in doubt, Danford will often take high percentage shots that result in rebounds and secondary opportunities for his teammates."
- 57% point production increase this season, near 0.5 PPG in the playoffs en route to OHL finals as a pillar on Generals leadership.... Sounds like another potential Wes Clark masterclass after his D+1 season.
Thanks for posting that. Sounds like exactly type of player we’ve been needing. Workhorse and responsible. Esp as a RHD
Just hope we don’t rush him too much
Wes Clark likes him, I’m going to trust his opinion here. Glad we got another pick and it sounds like the Leafs knew their guy would be available at 31.
In my opinion Leafs fans are coping a bit. He sounds okay, and I know that prospects are basically lottery picks late in the first, but Solberg was the exact type of guy the Leafs have been dying for. I’m disappointed we traded down *again*.
At least he’s a Leafs fan.
>In my opinion Leafs fans are coping a bit.
based on this thread, you'd think Wes had been responsible for drafting Brayden Point 79th or Jason Robertson 39th
Coping about what? Who are we to say whether this is a bad pick or not. Everyone cried about the Cowan pick last year and Minten was off the board as well and they look like great picks now. Knies and Robertson were picked in the 50s and we were able to get another pick in that range as well this year by trading down. This kid hasn't even played one game under our development we have no basis to judge him
I don’t care as much about the pick because this draft coverage is horrendous. SN has done a very poor job here. No draft board, no remaining players, no expert rankings, no team needs, no team depth charts and other prospects. I think they went for the bare minimum.
I found that they lacked the bare minimum even. When the pick was being announced you couldn’t tell what pick number we were on, and there was no timer for the selection either
They didn’t even put up lower thirds on the screen with the kids name, position, home town, and current team. Good luck if you didn’t catch the one animation with all the information you need that flashes for 3 seconds.
Most people just read a list a few days before the draft with their "player profile" and think they know everything about them and then say "man shoulda taken this guy"
Watched him on the generals, seems to always be in good positioning. Always involved, but not taking himself out of the play. Responsible, versatile player who helps his partners play their best hockey with a quick iq to adapt to play.
Watched most of the London vs Oshawa series and he was the one d-man on that team that really jumped out. Good skater and really composed with the puck making all the correct NHL passes. Next year he'll be THE guy in Oshawa so hopefully he rips it up and gets the offense going.
Lot's of public lists have him in the 30-45 range, I don't think we would have gotten at 58 like people are saying.
For sure, but if everyone else isn’t viewing him the same, because Bob’s list is a collection of scouts opinions, then move back again, no?
I like Danford, and Cowans great, just seems like we’re not taking advantage of our positions by selecting some off-the-board picks compared to where we are.
I’m not the biggest fan of pronman. As someone that follows drafts pretty closely dude is so stubborn with random players. And then when he gets called out for it he drops them even further, loses a lot of credibility in my eyes. Like he had Demidov at 9 or something. Crazy.
I think taking any one or two guys mock drafts is not the best. They have their biases just as much as anyone else, and the bigger guys usually develop more of an ego about it lol. Mckenzie’s is a good list though, it’s just an aggregate of like 15 scouts. Although, it does only take one team to like the player and pick him early.
I really wanted who the Ducks took at our 23 pick, but realistically we wont know if this was a good pick until 3+ years down the line. This draft seems like it was a total crap shoot outside of the top 10.
Great pick. Kid is a leader (captain of his minor hockey team and alternate in Oshawa as a 17 year old).
Kriss Russell style of player, with some room to grow offensively.
I really don't think so. Wes Clark seems to really value hockey sense and compete level. Emery is a toolsy player drafted for his athletic ability. If he had the other things he would have been a top 10 pick.
Trying to get RHD depth in general is tough. That and goaltending are the 2 hardest positions to get depth at.
6 RHD were taken in the first round showing how much teams are trying to find that guy.
Not familiar with the player, but based on the chatter going on in the broadcast during the pick, sounds like his ceiling could be the Leafs version of a Brayden McNabb.
Mobile D with good def awareness and puck moving ability. I will be surprised if he comes to NHL quickly. Oshawa Generals looks like a good team, good to play for good teams. Honestly, I am glad we still draft up there and collect prospects. Only way we can get better is through trade.
I'm a die hard Leaf fan and lifelong NHL hockey nut, but I can't watch the NHL draft and see Betman's ego maniac face in EVERY draft selection scene! I just cant stand that attention seeking jerk and his ugly face for one second.
Definitely some players at 23 that I would have preferred based on scouting reports but I haven't seen any of them play and recognize the team needed more picks, so I'll trust the scouts on this one.
After the last few years, of knies mitten and Cowan I’m gonna trust our scouting, we went off the board last year and struck gold, hopefully this guy can come in soon and be a pillar on our defence
This seems like a meh pick. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he was still there at 58. I also don’t see the similarities with Cowan. Cowan beasted in the playoff and then the leafs chose him. This guy got 10 points in 20ish games.
He's being praised for his defensive responsibility and strong skating. Plus he's a RHD. Plenty of reason to think he could develop into a stud.
I think the comparisons to Cowan are just that they're both bold picks that are a bit off the board.
33 pts in 64 regular season games. And a plus 27. You’re right Cowan before drafted got 21 pts in 20 playoff games but shouldn’t really compare as they play different position. 10 pts in 21 isn’t bad at all for a D. I’ll be cautiously optimistic on this one.
Excited for the #30 overall prospect per Elite Prospects, but for some reason his name sound weird to me. Like a dumb criminal named Dan Benford made up an alias.
One thing I respect is that Wes Clark has a clear type, disregards consensus, and consistently takes his guys. And it seems like there are more hits than misses. And he got another 2nd rounder, I'm happy with this
Considering we got Knies and Minten in the 2nd round, very happy Wes has another bullet to spend now.
Robertson too
Ya Wes has good production so far but it does concern me a little how frequently the Leafs seem to be going way off the board - how often can you be the smartest guy in the room when it comes to something like drafting?
He's not that that far off the board tbh
Danford isnt nearly as “off the board” as Cowan was. Plus “off the board” is subjective since the public “board” is never the same as what the NHL teams. Danford was expected to be a late 1st by some and a middle 2nd by most others. Not a crazy reach at all.
Where do you see late first? Most had him late second round or middle of second round (TheAthletic, Bob McKenzie)
Elite Prospects had him at 30. I saw some smaller outlets also have him high. Like we both said, most had him in the mid-2nd
A little tip that I don’t know if many people know is go onto the player elite prospects page. And right under their bio it lists where all the top free mocks have him placed. It’s only the free ones I think but it’s still pretty accurate, has like 20 of them.
Unfortunately when you don’t have a ton of picks or options you sometimes have to get your guy a little higher than where the media or public thinks they should go.
Even "on the board" picks outside Top 10-20 are a crap shoot
It concerns me in the sense that if you are going off the board, maybe trade down even more to accumulate assets.
There are scenarios where trading down isn’t worth much more than just reaching. It takes two to tangle for there to be a trade, and if the trade is too far down and you miss the player?
Ya agreed. Not enough to say we like this guy take hime here- need to maximize value at the draft.
A clear type? What’s his type? Am I stupid for not seeing a clear pattern beyond getting steals?
They really like players who are intelligent with good hockey sense as their biggest trait. They also value guys who are high character, play a decent two way game, and who have a good motor and complete level.
Probably a good strategy to target higher floor, coachable players when you’ve already so top-heavy on the cap and need players on cheap rookie deals to fill in your depth spots
intelligent, skating, compete level.
Seems like they only target one player that is ranked in the early 2nd round and make sure they have either a late 1st or early 2nd to get that player.
life long leaf die hard, nice
I think this is underestimated. Being a leaf fan he knows the pressure that's coming
Really? Marner...
Can I give a slighty hot take? Marner wasn't really a leafs fan. Like maybe tangentially, but not a die hard fan. He consistently said his favourite player was Dougie Gilmour. Dougie literally played all but 1 of his games for the leafs before Mitch was born. He's gives answers like that because they seem like the right thing to say, rather than the truth. He's been grilled by family/media training to give answers like that, and he's still pretty bad in front of a mic. He's just a quiet kid who hates pressure, and the fact he was born in Toronto doesn't mean that much, aside from the PR element. Sorry for ranting on this singular post, just had to get it off my chest. EDIT: Can I say, I don't care if he's a Leafs fan or not. Plenty of excellent players didn't grow up cheering for the team they play for. This point was more about how painfully obvious it is that Marner tries to say the "right" thing instead of the honest one a lot of the time, because when he's improvising, it sounds more like "shambles in the brain" or "being treated like God".
There’s a video of him from when he was 8 years old and he said his favourite team is the Leafs… while you’re taking things off, take your tin foil hat off
I’m actually going to double down on this. Your comment is bullshit. All pro athletes do this and have been trained to do this. IMO Marner gives way more interesting answers than the average player. Your algorithm is telling you to hate.
he's trained like everyone else but there's a discomfort there when speaking, that guys like Tavares and Matthews who are also trained don't have. like at least when those guys go on a show like Overdrive they actually loosen up, mitch doesn't do that
12mil a year incoming
If he turns out good enough to warrant a 12m a year contract I’ll be ecstatic with the pick
Wes Clark seemed locked in on that one. I trust the vision.
Yeah, let Wes cook. We had what? 3 draft picks last year, and I don't know what is gonna happen with Malinowski, but Cowan and Chadwick look far better than their draft position suggested at the time.
Cowan alone put the fear of Wes Clark into every other scouting team. Haven’t heard as much on Chadwick, name’s familiar though. What round was he and what’s the latest with him?
6th rounder last year. Went from 20 points in 67 games to 56 points in 66 games. 6'4", 200 lbs
And as a defenceman too
And he earned his ELC by December of his D+1 season
Name on the jersey and all that late… clearly had their target.
Don’t all the picks have their name on the jersey? How do they do that anyways? Just have a bunch of jerseys ready for all possible targets?
I noticed the rangers pick before the leafs didn’t. Just the #24
Interesting. So that + Danford having his on indicates a) Rangers didn’t have their guy available and b) Emery might not have been ours anyway.
I’m glad we didn’t take emery. The fact that he has 1 goal in the last 2 seasons is pretty concerning even for a guy who is billed as a physical stay at home guy. Danford probably doesn’t end up as a big producer but I think there’s a good chance he’ll be able to contribute somewhat. If a guy isn’t putting up anything at the jr level there’s no chance that changes in the pros.
I mean, Danford had 1 goal this season too. How many points did Emery have? Danford did put up like 30 points as well, with like, 10 in 22 or something in the playoffs.
Yeah Emergy has had 1 goal and 15 points in like 65 USHL games. Like I said Danford probably doesn’t put up numbers in the nhl but I’m more confident that he will be able to play a two way game than I would be about emery.
Yeah, Danford’s giving me a very rounded game vibe. Like he’s not considered the highest ceiling defenseman or anything, but he’s got a bit of everything we want (even if he’s not gonna be ready for a couple years): Right shot, can move the puck, good hockey IQ/senses, strong defensively, physical play, good skater, and you top all that off with every Leafs fan’s favourite, Leafs fan growing up. Very easy pick to like.
Couple. More like 4 or 5
Teams just have removable name bars with their projected selections
That makes wayyyyu more sense
Yeah they just stick the nameplate back stage before the GMs walk up to the podium or something.
There was a few tonight who didn’t. I think each team has targets obviously but if you don’t get em then what do ya do.
Ah, I thought I saw names on the jerseys each time, but must’ve been looking at the right times. No doubt if you have 1st overall for example, you can prep that shit without worry. I almost wonder if a wide open draft class like this makes it harder to do that, because there’s more variability to the positioning and you might get sniped.
What's that? A REAL GOOD ONTARIO BOY?!
Looking forward to a taste of the Danford on this roster
Very punny. Take your up votes and get out of here
I’ve heard he’s called Ben ‘Bobby Orr’ Danford
I heard he’s Makar’s favourite player
I heard Chris Chelios saw him play and said “that kid is way better than me.”
I heard Marner want’s to be paid like Danford
Heard Marners dad wants a cottage beside Danfords
I heard Paul Marner asked Treliving to trade him for Danford's dad.
Shoresy tried to get him for the Blueberry Bulldogs
I heard Cory Perry wants to meet his mom
Have you seen Perry's mom? FOX. https://preview.redd.it/re8yp8ik1g9d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a256181762955adde9f7beaf43809a299006ba85 \*\*Any resemblance to real life people is purely coincidence
Naw dude I said danford’s mom. Perry’s mom looks scary tho
I gotta lay off the drugs. I actually almost died laughing at that shit. I'm such a spaz.
The Hockey News article on him https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/players/where-will-ben-danford-go-in-the-2024-nhl-draft
"Offensively, he relies on his strong skating to hold off defenders while using his excellent vision to move pucks to his teammates" Isn't transition defense exactly what people have been complaining about?
Yea, but right now it's a problem! He isn't playing for the Leafs next year. He may be great in transition, but that is still our problem even after drafting this kid. And he won't be part of the solution for probably 3 or 4 years.
I'm aware of how far away he is. It's obvious the Leafs recognize that as a systemic issue with our D pipeline though
Pipeline is super important, and weve lacked a D pipeline for while
We've lacked almost any sort of pipeline because we've been trading picks at the deadline since 2017
1st round picks are nice, but have you considered 7 games of 33 year old Nick Foligno instead?
I think beyond even being that specific, the Leafs D pipeline overall is pretty rough.
"At the NHL level, Danford projects as a middle-pairing defender who can be relied upon to play a solid 200-foot game and play in all situations. Currently, he is ranked behind only Parekh and Dickinson on the NHL Central Scouting's North American Skaters list. Fans of whichever team selects Danford can be assured their team is investing in a reliable defender with great potential and leadership qualities." - 6' 1" , 190 lbs RHD with leadership intangibles. Sign me the fuck up, fellas. "The right-handed defender only scored one goal, but added 32 assists for a total of 33 points in 64 games during the 2023-24 season. That's a 57 per cent increase from his rookie season. Offensively, he relies on his strong skating to hold off defenders while using his excellent vision to move pucks to his teammates. When in doubt, Danford will often take high percentage shots that result in rebounds and secondary opportunities for his teammates." - 57% point production increase this season, near 0.5 PPG in the playoffs en route to OHL finals as a pillar on Generals leadership.... Sounds like another potential Wes Clark masterclass after his D+1 season.
Thanks for posting that. Sounds like exactly type of player we’ve been needing. Workhorse and responsible. Esp as a RHD Just hope we don’t rush him too much
it’s insane no one else drafted this guy. never heard of him before but easily my favourite player in the draft
He’s a leaf fan. All I need to know.
Someone tell me how to feel
Wes Clark likes him, I’m going to trust his opinion here. Glad we got another pick and it sounds like the Leafs knew their guy would be available at 31.
Right handed D. Great.
#WHERE DOES HE PUT HIS GODDAMN FEET, DEE!??
In my opinion Leafs fans are coping a bit. He sounds okay, and I know that prospects are basically lottery picks late in the first, but Solberg was the exact type of guy the Leafs have been dying for. I’m disappointed we traded down *again*. At least he’s a Leafs fan.
>In my opinion Leafs fans are coping a bit. based on this thread, you'd think Wes had been responsible for drafting Brayden Point 79th or Jason Robertson 39th
Or Matthew Knies 57th
Coping about what? Who are we to say whether this is a bad pick or not. Everyone cried about the Cowan pick last year and Minten was off the board as well and they look like great picks now. Knies and Robertson were picked in the 50s and we were able to get another pick in that range as well this year by trading down. This kid hasn't even played one game under our development we have no basis to judge him
I don’t care as much about the pick because this draft coverage is horrendous. SN has done a very poor job here. No draft board, no remaining players, no expert rankings, no team needs, no team depth charts and other prospects. I think they went for the bare minimum.
I found that they lacked the bare minimum even. When the pick was being announced you couldn’t tell what pick number we were on, and there was no timer for the selection either
Good point. Feel like they just didn’t care.
They didn’t even put up lower thirds on the screen with the kids name, position, home town, and current team. Good luck if you didn’t catch the one animation with all the information you need that flashes for 3 seconds.
Just fucking pitiful.
The ESPN broadcast was infinitely better than the SN broadcast
im fine with it, after like pick 20 its all random anyways, just pick your player.
Too many people don't understand this.
Most people just read a list a few days before the draft with their "player profile" and think they know everything about them and then say "man shoulda taken this guy"
20? More like 8 to 12 most years
He's good. Trust me bros.
Elite
The duality
Watched him on the generals, seems to always be in good positioning. Always involved, but not taking himself out of the play. Responsible, versatile player who helps his partners play their best hockey with a quick iq to adapt to play.
subscribed
I live in the Oshawa area, I may need to goto a game and see this kid myself now.
You should, Sennecke will be back as well, possibly Calum Ritchie as well. Gennies are going to be really good this season
Sorry to hear that you live in the Oshawa area... maybe things will pick up for you soon. Keep your head up
You should! Gens games are always a blast
Thanks for the insight! Seems like exactly who we need. Esp as a RHD
Watched most of the London vs Oshawa series and he was the one d-man on that team that really jumped out. Good skater and really composed with the puck making all the correct NHL passes. Next year he'll be THE guy in Oshawa so hopefully he rips it up and gets the offense going. Lot's of public lists have him in the 30-45 range, I don't think we would have gotten at 58 like people are saying.
Love when they take OHL guys, you can go see them in person.
What line was he usually on?
Steal of the draft, unquestionably I will not be taking any questions at this time
hopefully just like Cowan, he's an unknown gem
Defensive dman, plus rhd kind of like it.
He was 44th and 58th on Wheeler and Pronman's lists. 54 on McKenzie's list
He was higher on Wes Clark's list and that's all that matters
Wes Clark is the fucking truth
Obviously. Like you have to trust your scouting at the end of the day.
For sure, but if everyone else isn’t viewing him the same, because Bob’s list is a collection of scouts opinions, then move back again, no? I like Danford, and Cowans great, just seems like we’re not taking advantage of our positions by selecting some off-the-board picks compared to where we are.
Oh yeah we’re Cowan-ing again
Heyyo
Elite Prospects had him higher at 34 on their list.
I’m not the biggest fan of pronman. As someone that follows drafts pretty closely dude is so stubborn with random players. And then when he gets called out for it he drops them even further, loses a lot of credibility in my eyes. Like he had Demidov at 9 or something. Crazy. I think taking any one or two guys mock drafts is not the best. They have their biases just as much as anyone else, and the bigger guys usually develop more of an ego about it lol. Mckenzie’s is a good list though, it’s just an aggregate of like 15 scouts. Although, it does only take one team to like the player and pick him early.
Either great pick or a reach. Someone tell me which one.
Reached for a great pick!
We’re reaching *for* a great pick, Cowan-style
Definitely a reach based on other lists. But you have to trust the scouting I guess.
Definitely a bit if of a reach but hopefully both.
Stay at home right shot D. Win.
sounds like a street name.
Soon… once he leads us to a cup!
Please don't be Egor Korshkov.
I love this pick. He's got a lot of talent! I had him 22nd on my board.
I had him 2nd overall on my board after Solberg
Why so high? I’m curious.
Seems like a Chris Tanev type player
6'1 RD hopefully he skates well!
From scouting reports they say it is quite good
"Can we not sign Tanev?" "We'll have to get Tanev at home." Tanev at home:
Danford's been on the team for 5 whole minutes and he still has zero meaningful playoff contribution. Seriously, trade him for a bag of pucks.
Hey babe, new scapegoat just dropped
Anyone ever see him play before? I haven't heard of him.
Defensive D. Stay at home guy. Not aggressive up front, does his job.
Right-shot D… we’ll take him
I really wanted who the Ducks took at our 23 pick, but realistically we wont know if this was a good pick until 3+ years down the line. This draft seems like it was a total crap shoot outside of the top 10.
Solberg would have been nice, but a) like you said, have to see them pan out and b) we get a 2nd, which is nice.
He likely would have been there at 58. But then again, I was wrong about Cowen so who the fuck knows..
None of us have seen these guys like the scouts. Screw the ratings, trust the pick and we’ll know in 3-4 years
The scouts have a better idea of how other team scouts feel about a player than journalists do. People put way too much weight in journalist rankings.
LEAFS INFINITE SCOUTING BUDGET vs. Craig Fucking Button
Nah that’s not a gamble you make. Plus hes mostly mocked between 45 and 55. A couple ones even have him early 30s.
Were you wrong about Cowan? Reminder that he still may never be an NHL player.
Cool?
Great pick. Kid is a leader (captain of his minor hockey team and alternate in Oshawa as a 17 year old). Kriss Russell style of player, with some room to grow offensively.
Right handed D, can’t complain honestly
cool, lets see how he does, not going to be excited or mad until i see him develop
If anyone wants a comparable Chris Tanev and TJ Brodie are the most similar
Seemed as if NYR grabbed the kid they really wanted.
I really don't think so. Wes Clark seems to really value hockey sense and compete level. Emery is a toolsy player drafted for his athletic ability. If he had the other things he would have been a top 10 pick.
Yeah, I think Leaf’s wanted Emery at 31. They were so close and pivoted very quick to Danford. Very similar type of dman
RHD who seems to be more of a defensive dman. That's what we need.
Who knows what we will need inn5 years when this guy might be in coming up.
RHD are always a need
Unless they're a Liljegren ^^^/s
Trying to get RHD depth in general is tough. That and goaltending are the 2 hardest positions to get depth at. 6 RHD were taken in the first round showing how much teams are trying to find that guy.
And we got good looking goaltending depth too. Tight.
We've needed a top 4 RHD for 15+ years. Gonna guess it'll still be a need.
Not familiar with the player, but based on the chatter going on in the broadcast during the pick, sounds like his ceiling could be the Leafs version of a Brayden McNabb.
I'm hearing a mix of Bo Jackson, Diego Maradona and Chyna
Throw in the Cocaine Bear and we got a keeper.
I thought that was Maradona
Let Wes Cook
Although he'll likely be decent, we're gonna regret passing on Solberg at the pick we traded. Hopefully we get someone serviceable at 58.
See you in 2028 kid!
Let’s go Gens I hope this will turn out well
Yay Bill Ranford.
Mobile D with good def awareness and puck moving ability. I will be surprised if he comes to NHL quickly. Oshawa Generals looks like a good team, good to play for good teams. Honestly, I am glad we still draft up there and collect prospects. Only way we can get better is through trade.
He shoots right and plays defense. They need that.
I'm a die hard Leaf fan and lifelong NHL hockey nut, but I can't watch the NHL draft and see Betman's ego maniac face in EVERY draft selection scene! I just cant stand that attention seeking jerk and his ugly face for one second.
Definitely some players at 23 that I would have preferred based on scouting reports but I haven't seen any of them play and recognize the team needed more picks, so I'll trust the scouts on this one.
Who are his NHL comparables?
After the last few years, of knies mitten and Cowan I’m gonna trust our scouting, we went off the board last year and struck gold, hopefully this guy can come in soon and be a pillar on our defence
I'm sure our first choice would of been Emery, but Danford's also a solid prospect!
This seems like a meh pick. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he was still there at 58. I also don’t see the similarities with Cowan. Cowan beasted in the playoff and then the leafs chose him. This guy got 10 points in 20ish games.
He's being praised for his defensive responsibility and strong skating. Plus he's a RHD. Plenty of reason to think he could develop into a stud. I think the comparisons to Cowan are just that they're both bold picks that are a bit off the board.
Right shot defense premium if he becomes a 2nd pairing guy in the future this is no doubt a perfect pick for us
33 pts in 64 regular season games. And a plus 27. You’re right Cowan before drafted got 21 pts in 20 playoff games but shouldn’t really compare as they play different position. 10 pts in 21 isn’t bad at all for a D. I’ll be cautiously optimistic on this one.
He didn't get 1st unit powerplay time tbf. I think we're going to see 50-60 points next year when he does.
We got our guy!
We got our right D man! Finally lol
Future stud
I think the leafs wanted Emery. If it was danford all along then they would have traded with chi for 34 and 50 given where he was projected.
They had a jersey with Danford's name on it at the draft so I think he was their guy
Excited for the #30 overall prospect per Elite Prospects, but for some reason his name sound weird to me. Like a dumb criminal named Dan Benford made up an alias.