William Villeneuve Briefly Recalled for Olympic Window Depth, Reassigned to Toronto Marlies

William Villeneuve, a 23-year-old right-shot defenceman from Sherbrooke, Que., was recalled by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 18, 2026 to provide short-term depth during the NHL’s Olympic window and was reassigned to the Toronto Marlies on Feb. 20, 2026. The move was described as a short recall to add an extra defenseman for practices while the club awaited Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s return from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.

The recall was explicitly practice-focused. Times of India noted that "for now, William Villeneuve will be only allowed to take part in the Leafs practices while the roster is short-staffed," and the brief stint ended without an NHL game for Villeneuve, who has not yet made his NHL debut. Sportsnet summed up the opportunity with the line "Villeneuve could get his first taste of the NHL," reflecting the possibility that the recall might have become an audition under different circumstances.

Villeneuve carries a solid AHL resume into the conversation. This season with the Toronto Marlies he has played 40 games with three goals and 15 assists for 18 points. His 2024-25 season produced 55 games, four goals and 36 assists for 40 points, plus two assists in two playoff games. Across 203 AHL contests he is credited with 12 goals and 96 assists. LeafsNation reported he was leading all Marlies defencemen in scoring this season before the recall.

Background and contract details further explain why the Leafs tapped him for practice depth. Villeneuve was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, developed four seasons in the QMJHL with the Saint John Sea Dogs, recording eight goals and 48 assists in 64 games in his final junior season in 2021-22, and has spent four professional seasons with the Marlies. He appeared at Maple Leafs training camp in Toronto on Sept. 18, 2025 wearing number 76 in a team photo, and reports say he signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Leafs in August.

Organizational context mattered. LeafsNation noted the club was recovering from a wave of injuries as it mapped its short-term trajectory ahead of the trade deadline, with Chris Tanev expected to resume skating and Morgan Rielly penciled for a return. The Original Report characterized Villeneuve’s return to the Marlies as "a standard development move," returning him to Toronto's AHL roster while the NHL group stabilized.

Prospect evaluations vary inside Toronto’s pipeline. LeafsNation ranked Villeneuve ninth-best prospect in the organization last summer, while a column cited by Times of India attributed a second-best defensive prospect ranking to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. For now, Villeneuve returns to the Marlies with 2026-27 roster conversations and the trade-deadline period still in view for the Maple Leafs.