It's Sal here, your go-to guy for all things Maple Leafs, where the highs are high, the lows are lower, and the blue line is a never-ending tragicomedy. Buckle up, because today we’re diving into the latest chapter of our favorite saga: the Leafs’ draft day. Spoiler alert – it's a rollercoaster of Wes Clark, Trades, and a glimmer of hope wrapped in a 6-foot-3 package named Ben Danford. Grab a drink, settle in, and let’s dissect this together.
The Trade and The Man Behind It
So, the Leafs had the 23rd pick in the draft. Notice the past tense? Yeah, they traded it to the Anaheim Ducks for the 31st and 58th picks. Why? Because Wes Clark, our draft messiah, decided to roll the dice on Ben Danford. Clark’s draft record is like a horny teenager’s browsing history – full of unexpected results. Round of applause for Wes!
The Unicorn Arrives
Enter Ben Danford, the 6-foot-3 right-handed defenseman, the mythical beast Leafs fans have been craving like a drunk sailor craves a shore leave hooker. Right-handed defensemen are rarer than a Leafs' playoff win, and this pick had fans throwing their Maple Leafs jerseys in the air, feeling like they just scored the last beer from an empty keg. Danford's resume is a doozy, folks. He spent two seasons at Oshawa, putting up 1 goal and 32 assists in 64 games last season, with a +27 plus-minus. That’s right, a plus-minus that didn’t make us want to puke – it's a goddamn miracle!
The Swiss Army Knife of Defensemen
But wait, there's more. In this season’s annual OHL coach’s poll, Danford was voted the best defensive defenseman, the second-best shot-blocker, and finished third in the hardest worker category in the Eastern Conference. The guy's like a Swiss Army knife with a shot of tequila – does a bit of everything and leaves you with a huge grin.
Elite Talent with Room to Grow
Sure, Danford knows how to defend in-zone and move the puck up the ice, but sometimes his execution is shakier than a mungacake on espresso. He’s got the brains and the moves, but there were moments last season when he looked like he was trying to dance with two left feet. Hopefully, he's ironed out the kinks and is ready to show us his full potential.
A History of Futility
Let’s face it, the Leafs have been about as successful at developing defensemen as a virgin trying to find the clitoris. For what feels like 100 years, we’ve watched this team try and fail to build a solid blue line. So now, we're throwing massive bucks at free agents, hoping to plug the leaks in this sinking ship. Drafting Danford doesn't change that overnight, but at least we’re adding some talent to the prospect pool. Maybe, just maybe, this guy will develop into the stud we desperately need.
A Glimmer of Hope
In the grand comedy that is Leafs’ management, this pick is a small glimmer of hope. We needed a right-handed defenseman, and by some twist of fate, we got one. Now it’s up to the team to not screw it up. So, here’s to Ben Danford – may your career be long, successful, and less painful to watch than the past two decades of Leafs’ defensemen. Cheers, you glorious son of a bitch.
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