Toronto Maple Leafs Officially Extend 6'2, Right-Shot Defenseman

After a career-high 36 assists and 40 points in 2024-25, the Toronto Maple Leafs rewarded defenseman William Villeneuve with a one-year, two-way contract extension.

Drafted in the 4th round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Villeneuve has been an integral part of the Toronto Marlies back-end over the last 3 seasons. He's suited up for 163 games, where he's tallied 9 goals and 90 points.

Villeneuve is one of the only prospects remaining from the Maple Leafs notorious 2020 draft class, including goaltender Artur Akhtyamov. Kyle Dubas made 12 selections that summer with none of his picks having played an NHL game thus far.

Prior to his stint with the Marlies, Villeneuve spent his junior career with the Saint Jon Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. During his draft season, the Quebec native notched 58 points in 64 games in 2019-20. He finished off his 4-year tenure with the Sea Dogs with 56 points in 64 games in 2021-22.

As a member of the Sea Dogs, Villeneuve also won the Memorial Cup in 2022, when as the host city, they defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs in the Championship game by a score of 6-3. He was also named a second team all-star in 2020 and 2022.

Villeneuve finished the 2024-25 season with the 5th most points on the Marlies, behind only Alex Steeves, Alex Nylander, Nick Abruzzese, and Logan Shaw. However, he outpaced his counterparts by quite a bit as the next best defenseman was Topi Niemela with 22 points.

Expect more of the same this year with Villeneuve leading the charge alongside the likes of Dakota Mermis, Marshall Rifai, Noah Chadwick, and John Prokop among others.

If he can replicate his successes from last year, there's a good chance Villeneuve gets the call from the Maple Leafs to make his NHL debut sometime during the 2025-26 season.