As part of the Toronto Sun's comprehensive Maple Leafs coverage, we're tracking the progress of the organization's prospects across various leagues, providing weekly updates on the franchise's future hopefuls.
Embracing the Development Path
Defenceman William Villeneuve maintains perspective when the Toronto Maple Leafs require a right-shooting defenceman and look elsewhere instead of recalling him from the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies. Despite some fans advocating for his promotion, the 23-year-old remains focused on his development timeline.
"I think everyone has a different path, everyone goes in at a different time," Villeneuve explained. "I'm still pretty young. I got in the AHL at a young age. I'm just trying to stay patient and wait for my opportunity."
Now in his fourth full season with the Marlies after Toronto selected him in the fourth round (122nd overall) of the 2020 NHL draft, Villeneuve has demonstrated significant offensive capabilities from the blue line.
Establishing Offensive Presence
Through 182 career games with the Marlies, Villeneuve has accumulated 101 points, comprising 11 goals and 90 assists. This production places him second in franchise scoring among defencemen, trailing only T.J. Brennan's team record of 156 points established over three seasons from 2013 to 2016.
Villeneuve's age remains advantageous in his development journey, as defencemen typically require extended maturation periods. The Sherbrooke, Quebec native identified a crucial turning point in his progression last season.
"I would say in December of last year, I really took a next step in the defensive game, especially in the mental side of the game," the 6-foot-2, 190-pound defenceman revealed. "In the past, I felt that I was really hard on myself and I was letting maybe a bad game go into a bad week, and stuff like that. I'm better now, at trying to flush it when I have a bad performance or a bad day. I really feel strong about my game right now."
Coach's Perspective on Growth
Marlies coach John Gruden, now in his third season leading Toronto's AHL affiliate, has observed substantial development in Villeneuve's game and approach.
"He has grown a lot," Gruden acknowledged. "He was in and out of the lineup a few years ago and he has done a really good job of establishing himself as a pretty good defenceman in this league. The next step for him is to do things a little bit more consistently and being comfortable making the plays under pressure, boxing out the bigger players."
Gruden emphasized that Villeneuve's playmaking abilities aren't in question, but rather the defensive responsibilities require continued attention. "He can make plays, so that's not going to be the issue for him. It's the other stuff away from the puck. Being a defenceman, it takes a little bit of time. I give him a lot of credit."
Learning from NHL Veterans
Villeneuve has benefited significantly from working with experienced players throughout the organization, including Marlies captain Logan Shaw, veteran Kyle Clifford, and recently retired defencemen Jake Muzzin and Mark Giordano.
The opportunity to learn from Muzzin and Giordano—who bring combined experience of over 1,800 NHL games—represents a valuable resource that Villeneuve deeply appreciates.
"Muzz and Gio, they don't need to do this," Villeneuve noted. "They had great careers and, for them to take the time to give back to us young players, I love working with them. Gio is with us on a day-to-day basis and he's different opinion, a different voice. Sometimes he's a little bit more laid-back, and he's got a really good mind for the game, especially on the bench during games. I like picking his brain."
Regarding Muzzin's contributions, Villeneuve added: "Muzz will shoot you a text sometimes to tell you what he thinks. What I appreciate about him is he tells you straight up what (is happening). The biggest message from Muzz to the younger guys is that sometimes less is more sure. Sometimes you need to take a deep breath and calm your brain and calm yourself down."
Haymes Adapting to Professional Hockey
Forward Luke Haymes, who joined the Marlies last March after signing as a free agent from Dartmouth College, is adjusting to professional hockey demands following his nine-game stint that produced six points late last season.
The Ottawa native spent his summer training at the Maple Leafs' facility in Etobicoke, preparing thoroughly for his first complete professional campaign.
"I needed a big off-season physically and it was a little bit less of a shellshock for my first training camp," Haymes said. "It was really good for me to see some pre-season action (in three games) against what were mostly NHL lineups."
During summer training, the 22-year-old deliberately sought guidance from established NHL players including Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann.
"Laughton helped me out with some faceoff stuff, things to think about, things to look for in the other centre," Haymes explained. "And McMann, you look at his career, he was another ECAC guy (at Colgate University), he's a workhorse. I picked his brain on what it took to make the jump. A lot of patience. There's lots of knowledge with those guys so I tried to scoop as much as I could."
An upper-body injury briefly interrupted Haymes' November, though he managed six points (one goal and five assists) through 14 games before the Marlies faced the Providence Bruins on Wednesday night.
"Being relied upon as a point producer in college (54 points in 53 games in his final two seasons at Dartmouth) and coming here and not be relied for that just yet was definitely a change," Haymes admitted. "Working my butt off, continuing to be reliable in the D zone, be really good on faceoffs (is important)."
