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

Xavier Villeneuve's Player Profile

Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff - April 14th: "Villeneuve can drive the play from the point and is as good as anyone in this draft class on the man advantage. I loved him at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in particular – it felt like he was playing with a boatload of confidence. His play in the Q playoffs has been really promising, too."

Will Scouch - Scouching.ca - April 13th: "He can be frustrating and easy to beat physically, which for some is problematic, but I’m a believer in tolerating some downside in order to accept immense strengths, and I think Villeneuve is going to be a player where the strengths wildly outweigh the issues, and his play since returning from injury, as well as his play at the CHL/NTDP series and last year’s World U18 tournament all solidify how special I think this player is."

Dauton Reimer - The Hockey Writers - March 25th: "He loves to start the rush and pinch in for a scoring chance, but he also has the speed and awareness to get back to his assignment and prevent an odd-man rush. He can also move incredibly quickly with the puck on his stick, pulling off tight turns to create space or deke around an opposing defender to get closer to the net."

Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - March 17th: "And though he’s small and still a little physically immature, his dad is a big guy, and there is some hope that Villeneuve is going to grow. 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."

Jason Bukala - Sportsnet - March 17th: "Villeneuve is returning to the lineup after missing significant time with injury. He’s an undersized transitional defenceman and power play quarterback who has some Lane Hutson in his game. Before his injury, Villeneuve had produced 6G-30A in 35 games."

Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff - March 13th: "He loves touching and distributing the puck, and he’s an absolute monster on the power play. Villeneuve is just 5-foot-11, and while that’s not an ideal size, he makes up for it with what he does with the puck. I could see him going higher than this, but we know teams prioritize size on the back end, so it feels like he’s bound to fall."

Peter Baracchini - The Hockey Writers - March 10th: "He has the awareness to jump into the attack and capitalize on his opportunities and his ability to evade pressure easily while still maintaining possession of the puck continues to impress me. The comparisons to the play of Lane Hutson with his movement, deceptiveness and puck skills is eerily similar. His production has dipped and isn’t at his rookie season production."

Smaht Scouting - February 27th: "Comparing him to the Hutson brothers or Parekh, Villeneuve’s closest comparables in terms of style of play and pedigree, Villeneuve has the best combination of skating and defensive acumen, while being just as good if not better than all of those other guys offensively. He puts himself in too much trouble too often, that remains a part of his game that will need to become more 'pro-like', better picking his spots."

Sam Cosentino - Sportsnet - February 25th: "It's like having an extra forward when he’s on the ice. At any given moment, Villeneuve will take off and create havoc with his puck carrying skills. And if he turns it over or makes a mistake, he will get on his horse and be the first player back to correct the error."

Tony Ferrari - The Hockey News - February 23rd: "Simply put, there isn't a defender in the class with as much dynamic skill as Villeneuve. His shifty skating and excellent puckhandling allow him to create space at the offensive blueline, and his vision and passing make him a lethal playmaker. Villeneuve is one of the few defensemen in the draft who could be a top power-play option."

Xavier Villeneuve's Stats

Click here to return