Maple Leafs HC Craig Berube praises 19-year-old D-man after first preseason game vs. Senators

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube praised 19-year-old defenseman Ben Danford after Toronto beat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 in a preseason game on Sunday. The game was close, with the Senators attempting a comeback in the second and third periods.

Calle Jarnkrok scored first for Toronto, followed by Nick Robertson, assisted by David Kampf. William Villeneuve added a power-play goal with help from Vinni Lettieri and Luke Haymes. Ottawa answered with goals from Ridly Greig and Arthur Kaliyev.

Matthew Barbolini scored a Leafs power-play goal, coming off assists from Bo Groulx and Philippe Myers, and Olle Lycksell replied for Ottawa in the third. Artur Akhtyamov made 16 saves and was named first star, while Greig and Robertson were second and third stars.

Danford’s play stood out to Berube amid the scoring and saves. Drafted at No. 31 in 2024 from the Oshawa Generals, Danford played his first preseason game with Toronto.

“Ben Danford played a good, solid hockey game," Berube said (4:39). "It is not a flashy game by any means. But it is just about the first pass, defending well, and playing a hard game. He was pretty much mistake-free. It was impressive.”

For a young player still in junior hockey, getting such feedback from his coach is a huge deal.

Craig Berube's comments on Mitch Marner's Maple Leafs exit

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be playing without Mitch Marner this season for the first time in nearly a decade. He was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in July, with Marner signing an eight-year $96 million contract before the move. His departure came after scoring 102 points last season, and discussions have been primarily around how the Leafs will replace his offensive production.

Toronto coach Craig Berube spoke about the change on Wednesday.

"We lost a player, a real good player here," Berube said. "But we added three to our lineup. What excites me is that I don’t have to hear ‘core four’ anymore."

Toronto's “core four” was Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares, but the team is now aiming for more balance across the lineup. The Maple Leafs received forward Nicolas Roy in the Marner trade, which Toronto general manager Brad Treliving was happy with.

"When a player of Mitch's magnitude moves away, that's never a fun day," Treliving said in July, via NHL.com "But we were able to recoup a player who I think can really help us. We're excited about Nic. He's a penalty-killing forward, right-shot centerman."

Meanwhile, Marner will have a new opportunity in Vegas. The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2023, and he hopes to help them win again.