Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings #5 - William Villeneuve
The 21-year-old prospect is entering his second professional season with the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
William Villeneuve is ready for a heavier workload after an impressive debut season in the AHL.
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During a 10-day period that will span from August 7-18, I will be releasing my rankings (from 10-1) of who I believe is the closest prospect to playing full-time NHL hockey with the Maple Leafs.
William Villeneuve (Toronto Marlies) 21, D, six-foot-two, 183 lbs
Villeneuve might be the most fascinating of all the prospects within the Maple Leafs' system.
The 21-year-old right-shot defenseman had his first taste of pro hockey this past season, playing all throughout the Marlies' defense.
Tabbed as an offensive defender, Villeneuve put up 25 points in 54 games with AHL Toronto following a Memorial Cup-winning season with the Saint John Sea Dogs. Those 25 points put him 11th among AHL rookie defensemen scoring last season.
There are quite a few positives and some negatives that occurred in his first AHL season, though.
What stands out to me about the 21-year-old's game is his puck movement. In nearly every game he appeared in, Villeneuve never seemed to struggle with moving the play out of the Marlies' zone and into the opposing team's end.
His love for his teammates is something else that sticks out to me. The 21-year-old, although a rookie, was always happy for his teammates, whether they scored a goal or got called up to the NHL. He also showed a lot of affection towards Marlies fans, which never goes unnoticed in my books.
Over the course of last season, Villeneuve gained a fair amount of confidence. And the more he believed in himself, the more the 21-year-old upped his game. Villeneuve's offensive flare, paired with confidence, allows him to take his game to another level.
There are a few things that the 21-year-old needs to improve on, though, so he can take another step in his professional career.
I remember former Marlies head coach Greg Moore saying that once Villeneuve got stronger in the gym, you'd see improvement on the ice. And he was correct. The more strength he gained, the better he performed.
If the 21-year-old can find a way to gain even more muscle to fill out his six-foot-two frame, he'll be a scary defender as he moves up the ranks in the Maple Leafs organization. Adding a bit more meanness to his game, too, will help.
Villeneuve was often seen working on his skating last season. That's another area where he can improve a fair amount. There were a couple of instances last season when the 21-year-old caught an edge, leading to a giveaway.
Decision-making is another aspect of Villeneuve's game that he needs to improve on. Although it got better over the course of last season, there were still instances where the 21-year-old jumped into the play in the offensive zone when he should've probably stayed back.
Those mistakes, although sometimes at critical times, will make Villeneuve a better player. You're not going to learn if you don't mess up at points early in your professional career.
I believe the 21-year-old will be a better player this year because of the instances that occurred last season. Good or bad.
Villeneuve is placed this high in my rankings because I think there's plenty of future upside. If the 21-year-old gets stronger, is better in his own end, and can improve on his decision-making and skating, the future is very bright.
If I had to predict where Villeneuve will end up down the road, I'd say he'd fit as a middle or bottom-pairing defenseman at the NHL level. And if he evolves over the course of this upcoming season, I believe a call-up could be in the cards by next spring.
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