The Calder Cup Playoffs are a great time for prospects to step up and show what they can do at the next level. The pressure and intensity bring out the best in some players and allow them to showcase what they can provide to their NHL affiliates. That’s what William Villeneuve is going for the Toronto Marlies, the Toronto Maple Leafs' American Hockey League team in the Eastern Conference Final. 

Some might not even call Villeneuve a prospect anymore. He’s 23, not on an entry-level deal, and played three games with the NHL team this season. However, defensemen take time to develop, and Villeneuve is playing his best hockey at the right time.

The Maple Leafs had a rough season and head into an uncertain offseason where they can either push to contend, try retooling on the fly, or rebuild around a new young group led by the number one overall pick. Regardless of the route they take, Villeneuve is a bright spot and a defenseman who can help out their youth movement. 

Villeneuve always had the skill and passing to be a talented player, something scouts noticed in his Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) days. Of course, many scouts are noticing similar traits in his younger brother, Xavier, and at a higher level, making him a top prospect in the 2026 draft. That said, he wasn’t great on the defensive end. 

The question was how he would hold up defensively. Would he become a two-way defenseman or just a skilled power play specialist who was a liability on the other end? The playoff run is where he’s stepped up and become that elite player. He’s shutting down opponents and cleaning up pucks in the net front area. On top of that, Villeneuve is the unquestioned number one defenseman during this Marlies run. 

“He's grown a lot in the playoffs, and that's really good to see because, you know, he's a great kid. He's a great teammate,” Marlies head coach John Gruden noted after Game 1's Eastern Conference Final win, a game where Villeneuve’s slapshot gave the team a 2-1 lead in the second period of a 4-2 win. Gruden uses his top defenseman in all situations, and it gives the Marlies a difference-maker in the playoffs that few teams have. 

The playoffs provide lessons, and Villeneuve has taken them in full stride. “You learn a lot about yourself. To play meaningful hockey like that, especially that late into the postseason, is great. You learn how to deal with yourself, control your emotions throughout those games, and I think we're just going to bring that for the rest of the playoffs,” he added after the recent game. It’s that mindset that allows him to keep playing well on the bigger stage and step up under pressure. 

The offense is noticeable. Villeneuve scored the power play goal in Game 1 to give the Marlies the lead and momentum for the first time in the win. He has 10 assists and 12 points in this playoff run, with his playmaking allowing the forwards to find open looks and the back of the net. It’s something most fans see and notice. 

What goes unnoticed are the plays that don’t directly result in offense. When the puck is in the defensive zone, and the Marlies force a turnover, Villeneuve is the one moving the puck up the ice and setting up the offense. “He moves the puck well, and his decision-making has been really good. It's like a quarterback back there,” Gruden stated. The quarterback analogy is often overused in hockey for puck-moving defensemen but for Villeneuve, it works. Specifically, he’s like the passer who can still make the play even when the pressure and an inevitable hit are coming. 

Villeneuve can still get the puck out of the defensive zone while taking a hit, and against the Penguins, it’s a skill that makes him a key to the series. The Penguins love to forecheck and generate pressure; it’s how they set up their offense. “They got a lot of speed and a lot of talent up front. When they create a turnover, they attack quickly,” Villeneuve added after the game. It’s why his ability to control the puck goes a long way in a seven-game series. 

The question many scouts had about Villeneuve when he was drafted was whether he’d get pushed around in the NHL. He was a smaller defenseman who wasn’t playing well in his end, and it’s why he fell to the fourth round of the 2020 draft (that and a pandemic prevented teams from doing a full pre-draft evaluation of all prospects). It’s why Villeneuve had to spend a few seasons in the AHL to build up the strength to play at the next level. 

Villeneuve is 180 pounds and has built up the physical aspect of his game. He’s starting to play the way the Maple Leafs need him to play, which is with a shot-blocking mentality and a physical edge. In the playoffs, he’s stepped up in the interior and dared teams to shoot from the perimeter, a trait that will get him to the NHL.

For now, or at least the start of next season, the Maple Leafs will view Villeneuve as a third-line defenseman, someone who is a borderline NHLer who can fill in if needed. His three games late last season were a reflection of that. He’s close but not there yet. After this playoff run, it’s hard to deny that he’s carved out an NHL role. That said, the Maple Leafs have their top two pairing set, at least for now. 

The reality is that injuries will happen (it was a harsh reality of last season when a 35-year-old Chris Tanev started breaking down). So, Villeneuve developed into a third liner and has the upside to move up in the lineup. 

He’s not talented enough to be a top-pair option, and that’s not something the Maple Leafs should expect either. However, as the team gets younger and looks to the future, he can bridge the gap towards the next generation and be a depth piece. For now, he’s an integral piece of a remarkable run for the Marlies.