Ht/Wt: 5'11"/162 lbs
Position: LHD
Team: Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)

Xavier Villeneuve's Player Profile

Corey Pronman - The Athletic - December 10th: "He has excellent speed and edge work that allows him to evade a lot of pressure. His hands and vision are high-end, and he projects to score a ton in the NHL. He's a small, light defenseman who doesn't play the body, and his defense as a pro will be a significant question mark."

Tony Ferrari - The Hockey News - December 8th: "A gifted offensive defenseman who is among the most skilled playmakers in the draft. His vision and anticipation with the puck are excellent, allowing him to create offense from the back end. Villeneuve has some of the shiftiest mitts of any blueliners in the draft class, evading pressure at the top of the zone. "

Jason Bukala - Sportsnet - December 1st: "Villeneuve is the most active offensive defenceman in the 2026 draft class. He craves having the puck on his stick and making plays in the offensive zone. He quarterbacks the power play and has become more of a shooting threat in addition to his elite vision and playmaking."

Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff - November 19th: "Will NHL teams draft with a tape measure, or will they bet high on skill? Standing at 5-foot-10, Villeneuve is one of the smallest defenders in this draft class. But skill-wise, he’s near the top."

Sam Cosentino - Sportsnet - November 19th: "Another dynamic defenceman who puts defenders on their heels when the puck is on his stick. Like Lin, he’s a a magician running the power play and leans heavy towards the distribution side as opposed to the goal-scoring side."

Smaht Schouting - November 9th: "Endlessly dynamic, constantly looking for openings in the offensive zone, Villeneuve’s level of skill, anticipation and his ability to make his teammates better is astounding for his age at this level. There’s an argument to be made that he’s already a bit too good for this league at least offensively."

Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - Nov. 5th: "His skill level, 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."

Xavier Villeneuve's Stats

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