Maple Leafs’ Ben Danford provides scouting report on Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford will make a concerted push to make next year’s roster, and he may be joined by one of the most electrifying young talents in hockey.
“I was pretty stunned to be honest,” Danford said. “The odds weren’t very good to get first overall. We were out having dinner. I looked on the TV, and I thought they were talking about when they got the first overall pick in 2016. That’s crazy. That’s great. To bring in another young guy, and someone I could click with, whoever it is, I’m looking forward to meeting them. I think it’s great for the whole organization.”
Danford and McKenna were teammates at the 2026 World Juniors, where they won bronze with Canada. After spending time together last winter, Danford provided a brief scouting report of McKenna’s game.
“Gav’s a great guy. When it comes to skill, I don’t know how much more you can get than Gav has. The way he thinks the game, hands, his skating, shot, he’s got everything going for him. He’s a great guy off the ice as well. If he were to come to Toronto, I’d be pretty happy with that for sure.”
“He’s a really skilled player. Obviously, I don’t know him as a guy. I’ve seen a bit of video on him and stuff. He looks like a good player, but who knows?”
It’s a fascinating time for the Maple Leafs, as the team is undergoing a period of massive change. Danford could be part of the change this fall, as a new wave of Maple Leafs could be set to take over the next era of franchise history.