The Toronto Maple Leafs have a bit of a conundrum when it comes to their defensive unit.
On one hand, this is arguably the deepest blueline the Leafs have had in quite some time and certainly the best of the Auston Matthews era so far. They have one of the most potent shutdown pairs in Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev, added Brandon Carlo to beef up the back end, and have gotten a lot out of fringe players such as Philippe Myers.
On the other, the Leafs’ defence has struggled mightily to produce offensively all season long and is currently dead-last in the NHL for goals from blueliners. Outside of Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, there has been little to no offence from the other mainstays in the lineup and they have never been known to be point-getters to being with.
Part of the reason for this trend is that head coach Craig Berube has the Leafs playing a more risk-averse type of hockey, meaning he wants them to activate only when necessary and choose their spots accordingly. It has certainly helped with them being more sturdy defensively though it has come at the expense of more offence from the backend. Luckily for them, they have an internal solution in William Villeneuve who has shown he deserves a trial run in the NHL.
Villeneuve has emerged as the Toronto Marlies’ most productive defenceman with 27 points (two goals and 25 assists) in 40 games to lead all Marlies blueliners and tied for sixth on the team in scoring. He has been remarkably consistent in terms of his point totals as he has surpassed the 20-point plateau in the three seasons since turning pro.
But being able to produce is only half the reason why Villeneuve has been effective in the AHL this season on the offensive side of the puck. What has also helped is his hockey IQ and strong awareness of where to send the puck, as he does well in spotting an open skater to either start the breakout or create a rush-scoring chance. Villeneuve being a strong skater allows him to also jump into the play when needed and create some separation to allow his teammates to take over.
Offensive abilities can only take him so far, that is why it has been important to his development to round out his defensive game, which has seen improvements this season. He won’t remove the opposition from the puck with physical force, but he will stay in position to keep them honest and that allows him to be effective and create turnovers. There have been instances where Villeneuve was caught napping in transition but he makes up for it with the foot speed to minimize the damage and put out the fire.
Villeneuve has been most effective when paired up alongside a more steady defenceman, which is why he has spent a good chunk of games with players such as Marshall Rifai, Dakota Mermis, and Cade Webber. He also has the versatility to play on his off-side if needed which is a skillset that coaches will surely appreciate. To his credit, Villeneuve has even taken strides in being a bit more imposing physically and that is an area that GM Brad Treliving will value. Because he is listed as 6’2″ and weighs 182 pounds, he has the ideal size to be able to withstand the physicality of the NHL so long as he continues to get stronger.
It would be in the Leafs’ best interest to give him a look in the NHL before the end of the regular season to reward him for his strong play in the AHL. Villeneuve will be an RFA in the summer and they will need to see what they have in him to determine whether he is a legitimate option for them next season and beyond. Even if it is only for a game or two after they have locked up a playoff spot, they would be doing themselves a disservice by not giving him a chance to prove himself.
Should this call-up come to fruition, the most logical spot for Villeneuve to be is on the third pair in a sheltered role. Putting him alongside the likes of Simon Benoit would be a good way to help ease his way into the NHL while getting more favourable matchups at the start. Alternatively, they could run an 11-7 lineup to make things easier though it is unclear if Berube would even want to go down that route given he has yet to do so to this point.
The 2024-25 campaign has been a solid one for Villeneuve and he has emerged as the Marlies’ most reliable offensive weapon on the backend. He is far from a finished product defensively but he has taken strides in that area of his game with smooth skating and keeping his opponent true. Given the fact that he requires a new contract, the Leafs would benefit themselves by seeing where he is at in his development by giving him a trial run in the NHL.
Villeneuve should be given a call-up at some point before the end of the season because he has at the very least earned a look.
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