2025 TLN Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings: #9 William Villeneuve

The TLN Maple Leafs prospect rankings were compiled by a panel of seven TLN writers, each ranking our top 20 prospects to form a consensus group ranking.

Rather than hard and fast limits on age or NHL games played to determine “prospect” eligibility, our group decided on a more nuanced approach to include any reasonably young player who is either under contract with the Leafs or on the club’s reserve list, who has not yet established himself as a full-time NHLer.

William Villeneuve is perhaps the most NHL-ready among the Toronto Maple Leafs’ defencemen prospects, and one that is on the verge of being at the very least considered for some looks in the top flight in the 2025-26 season.

It has been a steady incline for the 23-year-old in the five years since he was taken 122nd overall in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft. When we conducted our prospect rankings in 2023 and 2024, Villeneuve landed at #16 both times, largely due to his 25 points in the preceding campaign along with other prospects being a bit more impressive and having slightly better potential. Now he sits inside the top 10 thanks to a strong 2024-25 season where he emerged as the Toronto Marlies’ top producer on the backend.

In a year where then fellow blueline prospects Topi Niemela and Mikko Kokkonen stagnated, Villeneuve found his footing offensively with 40 points (four goals and 36 assists) in 55 games played along with two assists in two playoff games. A big part of what helped him explode on the offensive size of the ice 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. Being a strong skater allows Villeneuve to also jump into the play when needed and create some separation to allow his teammates to take over and get into the high danger areas which increases the likelihood of a goal. This is especially evident on the power-play, where he is always moving around the ice and that makes it trickier for the opposition to defend since they would have to deal with a defenceman joining the fray along with the other forwards. It also helps that he is a right-shot defenceman who can play on both sides of the ice if necessary.

Offensive abilities can only take him so far; that is why it was important to his development to round out his defensive game which saw improvements last year. There were instances where Villeneuve was caught napping in transition, but he made up for it with the foot speed to minimize the damage and put out the fire. 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 at creating turnovers. To his credit, Villeneuve took strides in being a bit more imposing physically, which is an area that general manager Brad Treliving will surely 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.

The Leafs were surely impressed with the progression Villeneuve took in his game, which is why they rewarded him with a one-year extension on August 5. It certainly isn’t a long-term commitment and it’s likely more of a prove-it deal, but they can maintain control of him beyond the 2025-26 season as he will still be an RFA when this contract expires. Presuming he takes another step and gets some reps in the NHL for the first time, he should have little trouble earning another contract.

Head Coach Craig Berube is having the Leafs’ blueline play a risk-averse type of hockey, which means he wants them to activate only when necessary and choose their spots accordingly. One of the reasons they ultimately fell in the second round last season is that the blueline as a collective wasn’t strong puck movers and it left them susceptible to being trapped in their own zone. This would be mitigated by the addition of a puck-mover who is also a strong skater and Villeneuve fits that bill which should make him a legitimate option for the first time in his career. One could argue that Villeneuve should have already gotten a chance with the Leafs, but he will be high on the consideration list should the blueline run into injuries.

His offensive game grew leaps and bounds last year while he is rounding out his defensive game, which will make him someone that Berube won’t be afraid to lean on once Villeneuve gets more comfortable at the NHL level. While he is far from their top defensive prospect, he is part of a small group that includes the likes of Easton Cowan and Dennis Hildeby that is the most NHL-ready.

At the time of filing, not one player the Leafs took in the 2020 NHL Draft has made it to the NHL. Villeneuve has a chance to change that this upcoming season and is therefore someone worth keeping an eye on.