William Villeneuve finally gets his debut at 24 and the Leafs are about to find out what they’ve been missing
Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images
UPDATE: 5:30p.m. — William Villeneuve will be a healthy scratch for Toronto, Craig Berube has announced.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled prospect defenseman William Villeneuve from the Toronto Marlies for his potential NHL debut.
Toronto has recalled William Villeneuve from the American Hockey League ahead of tonight's game against the Los Angeles Kings.
Villeneuve, 24, has three goals and 28 points in 58 games this season for the Marlies in the AHL, having led all defenseman in points the last two seasons.
Reassurance after the injury to Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Thursday against San Jose, it's unknown if Villeneuve will enter the Leafs lineup.
William Villeneuve is in his fourth full season as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, but has gone in that time without an NHL game played.
Having been considered a top prospect in the Toronto Maple Leafs system, Villeneuve has never appeared for the Leafs in a regular season game, despite playing in over 200 AHL games.
Villeneuve led the Marlies defense in scoring for two straight seasons and tonight he finally gets to show why
William Villeneuve finally gets his potential first taste of NHL action after years in the wait in the Leafs minor league system.
Previous reporting by Hockey Patrol, citing Leafs sources shared what was the view among those in the organization that Treliving preferred his own acquired players rather than prospects such as Villeneuve, one of the last holdovers from the Kyle Dubas era.
The timing can be noticed that now that Treliving is gone that Villeneuve gets his shot, but it's not accurate to say that Treliving was blocking Villeneuve from the NHL.
Treliving being the sole reason for these players not getting NHL chances isn't entirely the case. Those having been spoken to in the AHL feel that Villeneuve hasn't unlocked his game as much as the Leafs would have liked.
Five games left is better than zero and Villeneuve deserves every minute of it
William Villeneuve finally gets his shot in a lost season for Toronto, moved up from the Marlies and getting a real look at NhL minutes.
However, Villeneuve does have a necessity to the Marlies, who are chasing down a playoff spot in the AHL, needing to win their next two games to punch their ticket to the postseason.
By pulling Villeneuve out of the lineup
now, the organization is effectively saying that evaluating the future of the big club is more important than a minor league playoff run.
now, the organization is effectively saying that evaluating the future of the big club is more important than a minor league playoff run.
Villeneuve isn't the only skilled prospect who went without a chance for the Leafs. Topi Niemela & Roni Hirvonen are examples of player who never got even a cup of coffee in Toronto, with now departed Fraser Minten & Nikita Grebenkin getting little chance.
With only a few games remaining for Toronto, at least one game is earned for Villeneuve, who has waited far too long for at least a shot.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Hayley Wickenheiser is set for a significant promotion to help lead the Maple Leafs front office
Hayley Wickenheiser is set for a significant promotion to help lead the Maple Leafs front office
Previously on Hockey Patrol