Maple Leafs Injury Update Opens Door for Top Prospect Ben Danford

The preseason hasn't exactly been what the Maple Leafs wanted considering they are not only dealing with injuries, but goaltender Joseph Woll has taken an indefinite leave of absence as the team's outlook for the season just got a whole lot murkier.

One key injury is that to Simon Benoit, as the rugged defenseman is still nursing an upper-body injury and there is no indication he is ready to get back on the ice yet.

Expected to be a huge part of the lineup alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Benoit being out puts Toronto at a bit of a disadvantage though they have a ton of depth to make up for it.

However, perhaps there's a silver lining in all of this and it has to do with one of their top prospects.

With Benoit out, Ben Danford actually gets the call again for the Maple Leafs in their second preseason game and gets paired with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Not only is this a huge boost to Danford's future chances, but it also solves one glaring issue.

Last year, OEL was forced to play on his weak side while Benoit took duties on the left side. Now with Danford, a right-handed shot, playing in his proper spot, OEL can take the reins on the left and perhaps spark his offensive capabilities again.

He's got a great defender in Danford, who has shown incredible poise and maturity so far and earned high praise from Craig Berube recently.

Don't expect a flashy game from the rookie, but you need to understand his game is built around being rock-solid in his own end, blocking shots, winning pucks, and making smart outlet passes. He can help the offense simply by being elite defensively.

While there is a lot of talk about Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan making their names known this preseason, Danford could end up accelerating his call-up with another strong performance, and if the team can end up with a top-six forward by including Benoit in a package; Danford could be the right guy for the job.