Ben Danford
Ben Danford is a 6'2, 194-pound, right-shooting defenseman from Madoc, Ontario. He will be 19 years old on February 6th, and he currently plays for the Oshawa Generals. Danford is the captain of the Generals this season, and so far, he has registered four goals and 13 assists through 40 games.
He is on pace for six goals and 21 assists for 27 points, which is a slight dip from his draft year numbers (33 points in 64 games).
The Leafs have no interest in rushing Danford, so it's likely that he will return to the General next season. Expect to see him suited up for the Marlies or Leafs for the 2026-27 season, if he isn't traded at the deadine *(the Leafs have no first round pick this year, and Danford may be one of their best trade assets in a year they hope to win the Stanley Cup).
Victor Johansson
Victor Johansson is a 6'1, 165-pound, left-shooting defenseman from Linkoping, Sweden. He is 18 years old and is currently playing for Leksands IF J20 in Sweden. Johansson has four goals and 24 assists for 28 points in 34 games this season. He has also appeared in four games for Leksands IF in the SHL but has yet to register a point.
Johansson will likely play at least one more season in Sweden before coming to North America to join the Leafs or Marlies and begin his pro career. He has yet to sign with the Leafs, so he will for sure remain in Sweden until a contract is signed. I would not expect him to be signed until next season at the earliest, and he is likely a long shot to make the Leafs team before the 2026-27 team.