Maple Leafs reporter reveals Ben Danford is being called up sooner than you think

Maple Leafs reporter James Mirtle revealed Ben Danford's debut may be sooner than later as the team is debating a promotion to help shore up their blue line.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to navigate a shaky defensive group, there are questions about what needs to be done. The puck movement has been a lot better but not spectacular, and Toronto is constantly hemmed in their own zone game after game.

Morgan Rielly hasn't done much, nor is he expected to defensively, but guys like Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson have not been that great recently either. The loss of Chris Tanev hurts, and there's talks about a potential trade for Calgary's Zach Whitecloud or even a last- minute deadline deal for Drew Doughty.

Ben Danford could soon earn an NHL call-up

But if the team doesn't want to risk losing assets this early on in the season, then they may decide to go internally. Marshall Rifai didn't get much of a look - but one Marlies player might.

James Mirtle reported that the Maple Leafs have internally debated on whether or not to call up highly touted defensive prospect Ben Danford from the Toronto Marlies to give them some much needed help on the back end:

I didn't like Rifai's debut, that didn't go well...yeah they want to look at Danford, the upside is there, and how he played in the AHL playoffs. He can handle the pressure. Why not give him 15 minutes and see what he can do?

I see nothing on the market that makes sense. You hear Whitecloud, but is that a good enough player and are you willing to spend the assets. Will he be the Brandon Carlo where he's big, plays 19 minutes a night - but it's not 23. They need a #1 D and I don't know how they are going to go about that.

Danford is currently dealing with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day, so there's no timeline for a potential call-up, but Mirtle did state that it could be a case of whenever Danford is at his earliest level of readiness.

Should Ben Danford get a shot with the Maple Leafs?

At this point, why not? If the Maple Leafs need help and they aren't getting it from your typical sources or call-ups like Rifai - give the kid a shot.

Danford has proven to at least be serviceable at the NHL level given his preseason appearances, and while that's different than a regular season schedule - it's still NHL competition.

Also, you may as well see what he can offer now instead of waiting, as he could be vital in a future trade package and it's better to know what you might be giving away.

Danford's potential call-up won't exactly solve Toronto's woes completely, and it's up to the others to pick up the slack and make sure the rookie isn't hung out to dry. But if he can come in and calm things down, then the Maple Leafs may find themselves with a bit of an easier time.

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