The dynamic and polarizing defenseman could go anywhere from the mid-first to second round.
There aren't many players in the 2026 NHL draft that divide more opinions than Xavier Villeneuve.
On one hand, his supporters will compare his playstyle to NHL stars such as Lane Hutson and Quinn Hughes, with his dynamic offensive playstyle, quick hands and shifty skating allowing him to be a force with the puck on his stick, creating tons of offence for his team.
On the other, his detractors will say his game isn't at the level as those stars, and say the translatability of Villeneuve's game is not there, with his size and defensive ability called into question in how he can transition at the professional level.
Xavier Villeneuve will be a file to watch on NHL draft night. (Photo: Sébastian Gervais)The Laval native was the seventh overall pick in the 2023 QMJHL draft, and has been an elite talent in the league ever since. He made an instant impact in 2023-24, winning the Emile-Bouchard Trophy as the top rookie blueliner in the league.
The next year, in his 17-year-old season (as a late September birthday, Villeneuve has an extra year of juniors under his belt than most in their draft year), he won the league's defenseman of the year award after a 62-point season from the blue line.
His draft year didn't go quite as planned, with an injury in January derailing his season and forcing the shifty defender to miss months of action, but he still posted 38 points in 37 regular season games, adding 14 more in 17 playoff matches.
While he entered the year as a potential top-10 pick, the combination of his physical shortcomings and a non-spectacular season on the ice have certainly led to some controversy around where he should slot come draft day.
The juxtaposition in Villeneuve's ranking by major public scouting lists is a perfect example of this. While The Hockey News' Tony Ferrari and Smaht Scouting still have the 5-foot-11 defender as a top-10 or even top-five pick, other lists such as TSN's Craig Button and Sportsnet's Jason Bukala leave him out of the top 30.
As for how his draft day may end up, historical data tells us Villeneuve will likely fall in the draft. Typically, it's very difficult for shorter defenseman to get picked high, with Lane and Cole Hutson both dropping to the second round, while the entire 2025 draft going by without a single blueliner shorter than 6-foot being selected at all.
Obviously, Villeneuve will change that trend and get picked, probably pretty high. But as much as his talent suggests he could go as high as a top-15 pick, it's entirely possible he'll follow the path of the Hutsons, Seamus Casey and more before him of falling into the second round.
Villeneuve will also be following the Hutsons in another way. As he's committed to head to Boston University for the 2026-27 season, he'll be taking over a very similar role as the Hutsons themselves held on that roster, with both Lane and Cole finding a ton of success with the Terriers before making the jump to the NHL, and both making a big impact right away.
If it all goes right for Villeneuve, he'll be able to follow that exact path, and be yet another data point in why not to doubt the small and offensively gifted defensemen.
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