The 24-year-old has been recalled by the Leafs a few times in the past several years but has yet to make his National Hockey League debut
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The Maple Leafs have recalled defenceman William Villeneuve from the Toronto Marlies on an emergency basis.
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With veteran defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (lower body) out of the lineup for the game on Saturday night in Los Angeles against the Kings, the call went out to the right-shooting Villeneuve for insurance purposes.
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Coach Craig Berube told media in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon that there would be some other game-time decisions as some Leafs are banged up. On Saturday, Berube told media that Villeneuve will not play against the Kings.
At practice on Friday, the Toronto defence pairs were Morgan Rielly-Philippe Myers; Jake McCabe-Brandon Carlo; and Simon Benoit-Troy Stecher.
The 24-year-old Villeneuve has been recalled by the Leafs a few times in the past several years but has not yet made his National Hockey League debut. A fourth-round pick by the Leafs in 2020, Villeneuve leads Marlies D-men in scoring this season with 28 points (three goals and 25 assists) in 58 games.
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He’s also second among all Marlies in penalty minutes with 64.
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Possible participation
Whether Villeneuve gets in a Leafs game remains to be seen, but considering that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention, it wouldn’t hurt to catch a glimpse of what he could provide.
During the Olympic break in February, Villeneuve was recalled for a couple of Leafs practices. He missed some games in December as he dealt with a bout of mononucleosis.
We caught up with Villeneuve at the end of February.
“It’s been a challenging year a little bit physically,” Villeneuve said at the time.
“I don’t think my game has been exactly what I wanted it to be. But I’m turning a corner and trying to focus on the last stretch of the season and be the player that I know I can be.
“It’s about being a little bit more direct. I think my defending has been a little bit better, but sometimes when you start overthinking, you don’t move the puck as quick.”
Joseph Woll will start in goal against the Kings.
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