By Russ Cohen
Sometimes there’s a player who is polarizing for one reason or another. I think people who are trying to rank in the 2026 NHL Draft are going through that. If I were advising him, I would say be ready for anything. He could go top 20, or he could go somewhere in the second round.
At 5-11, 164, he’s of slight frame but not small. He is smaller for a defenseman. He has put on some weight, and there’s room for more, but not a lot more. He might top out around 172, and that has GMs and pundits worried for sure.
“I’m a bit skinny right now, so I think with the weight and kind of muscle I’ll be adding on, I think I am going to be pretty fast and explosive,” said a confident Villeneuve.
He has someone working with him, and he’s right, more muscle in his legs, which he can build up, will give him more explosiveness.
Villeneuve was more than a point per game in the regular season, and he had 14 points in 17 postseason games. Those are solid numbers, and he’s going to Boston University next year, which means he will have a dedicated training staff.
This kid is tough. He had some hip soreness (he was out for 3 months with an LBI) and still placed second to Gavin McKenna in the VO2 Max, as an example.
“Yeah, that was awesome. This helps you keep pushing, so it was fun, yeah.”
In 2024-25, he was more than a point-per-game in the U18s. He was the highest-scoring defenseman on that team, which was loaded with talent. He can play with that talent.
“My skill set, smartness in my using my feet, I love to be a difference maker, so anytime I can get a chance to do it, I’ll do it,” Villeneuve stated.
His superpower is to skate better than the competition with an economy of movement, and that’s a reason he can log over 22 minutes a game. Does he tire out the competition?
“Yeah, for sure. I think the competitiveness and the way I skate, maybe, like, I don’t force that much, so I can go for a longer time, too,” he reiterated.
The good news is that he spoke to 22 teams. I didn’t make a list this year because teams are seeing players at every opportunity during the season. Why did so many see him there? To see about his recovery from his injury was probably the top reason. A final interview is important, but some players never do it, and they still get drafted.
