Ben Danford's Maple Leafs path mirrors a top NHL defenseman's rise

Ben Danford may be a year away from debuting however if he follows a similar path to Brock Faber then he could find himself set up for success down the line.

Danford is one of Toronto's top prospects but doesn't yet have a direct path to the NHL. Toronto currently has enough depth and Danford's minimal experience at the professional level pushes him down the depth charts.

But he's managed to impress at every level from the OHL to Team Canada at the World Juniors to the Marlies during their AHL Calder Cup run, and the future looks bright for the blueliner.

Danford's path to the Maple Leafs already has a strong precedent

Though his path to the NHL is currently blocked, there is a lot of hope for Danford especially if he can take a similar path to the one that landed Brock Faber in the NHL. Faber, a top prospect with the Los Angeles Kings, was traded along with a 2022 first-round pick to the Minnesota Wild for Kevin Fiala.

Once he was firmly in Minnesota's system, he took one more year to play in the NCAA before coming over to the Wild full-time. Initially, he ended up only getting a two-game stint with the team in 2022-23 however the following season was given a full-time role and he's flourished.

Faber has 127 points over the past three seasons while also providing an elite defensive game and was trusted to help guide the Wild despite a lack of experience. Now, there's absolutely no guarantee that Danford can replicate what Faber has done, but there is hope.

Danford is likely going to get premium minutes with the Marlies in the AHL (similar to Faber at the University of Minnesota) and that year of steady play will help him get comfortable quicker.

Danford could earn a call-up if he ends up adding a new offensive dynamic to his game

Faber had only 53 points in three seasons in the NCAA so his production increased the more pressure and responsibility he was given. Adding over double the amount of points in the same time span and doing so with much higher competition is a testament to how good Faber has become, and why the Wild targeted him so heavily.

Danford can follow suit as well by adding to his offensive side which while not his strength - isn't a detriment:

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If he can do things similar this season while continuing to play that suffocating style of defence that he's known for then a call-up could be in the cards. Danford could be a great replacement for Chris Tanev should he go down with injury as they play a similar style of game and Danford would offer a bit more speed and mobility at both ends.

Don't expect Danford to become the second coming of Cale Makar this season and he's not at risk of dropping out of the team's plans if he can't add some more offence.

But it certainly strengthens his chances of making the Maple Leafs sooner than anticipated.

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