Ben Danford Doesn't Have to Be Spectacular to Fit the Maple

Something Marshall Rifai said about Ben Danford in a recent article struck me. He didn't talk about points. He didn't talk about offensive upside. He didn't talk about how quickly Danford might make the Maple Leafs. He talked about winning hockey.

That's an interesting thing to hear about a young defenceman.

Danford is in his first full season with the Toronto Marlies.

Danford is still only 20 and is beginning his first full season with the Marlies. He isn't supposed to have everything figured out yet. In fact, I think the most encouraging part of his development might be that the people around him aren't asking him to become something different. They're asking him to become more consistent at what he already does well.

Danford said consistency is a big part of his job this season. He wants to keep playing hard defensively, move the puck well and get his feet moving up the ice. He's also playing on the penalty kill, something he did in junior. None of that is particularly flashy. And that’s probably really good news.

Some prospects look spectacular, but that might not be what the Maple Leafs need.

One thing we sometimes do with prospects is look for the spectacular. We want to know whether a young player has the hands, the shot, the skating or the offensive numbers that will make us believe he's going to be a star. But defencemen can take a different path.

Sometimes the really encouraging prospect is the one coaches trust. Rifai said Danford asks the right questions, understands where he needs to be and owns his mistakes quickly. He compared him to Fraser Minten in the way he carries himself and described Danford as someone who plays winning hockey.

That's quite a compliment. And maybe it's also a reminder that development isn't always about adding something. Sometimes it's about taking the good parts of a player's game and making them dependable.

Danford learned a lot playing in the Calder Cup Final.

Danford already got an unusual taste of that last spring. He joined the Marlies mid-playoff run and played all 16 remaining games as Toronto won the Calder Cup. He wasn't eased into professional hockey. He was thrown into it. Now he gets a full season to learn what it means.

That's why I'm not particularly worried about whether Danford is piling up points or dominating every night. I want to see whether he becomes the guy his coach can look down the bench and trust.

That's how NHL careers are built, too. Not always with a big moment. Sometimes with a hundred little moments: a young defenceman in the right place, making the right play, and not panicking when something goes wrong.

Maybe that's what Ben Danford is learning now. And maybe that's exactly why the Maple Leafs like him.