NHL Draft 2026 Rounds 2-7 live updates: Start time, best available, draft order and how to watch
Villeneuve was the QMJHL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year at 16 and the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year and a CHL Third Team All-Star at 17, finishing first among Q defensemen in assists (50) and second in points (62) on top of playing to above a point per game and logging 20 minutes per game.
Though he’s small and still physically immature, his dad is a big guy, and there is some hope that Villeneuve is going to grow at least a little. He has already moved his listing from 5-10 to 5-11, which, fairly or unfairly, is important. His skill level, offensive hockey sense and puck play are all legitimately elite. He’s constantly making plays and finding openings. And while he’s more shifty than fast (he has mastered using his head, shoulders and eyes to be deceptive and shake past opponents), his speed has improved, he opens up a lot of space for himself on the ice, and he defends smartly for his size, using his edges and a combination of IQ and instincts. It’s his shimmies over his breezy feet that really grab you, though. He beats and loses players effortlessly and plays the game with incredible poise and dimension. He has phenomenal edges, a quick release and a good stick. He’s a high-end talent, and a year after no sub-6-feet D were drafted, I’ll be fascinated to see where he lands on draft day because there are teams that don’t like him and the combination of his size, the Q, and the mistakes he makes.
He does have a unique skill set, though, and his ability to break ankles will translate.