While the Toronto Maple Leafs are still licking their wounds following a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, the Toronto Marlies have achieved the highest level of success this year, capturing the Calder Cup for the first time since 2018. The Marlies won a hard-fought series in five games against the Chicago Wolves, with four of the five games being decided by just 1 goal.
There were plenty of standout performers for the Marlies throughout the playoffs, but nobody shone brighter than playoff MVP Artur Akhtyamov, who posted a .923 SV% and a 2.22 GAA across 22 games during the Marlies' tremendous run. Easton Cowan, who is destined to claim a roster spot for the Maple Leafs come opening night in 2026-27, notched 18 points in 22 games and also enjoyed a solid postseason.
With the 2026 NHL Entry Draft and the start of free agency just around the corner now, the Maple Leafs have a lot of work ahead. While the draft is first up on the docket, even with the Leafs holding the 1st overall draft pick, there might be more eyes focused on July 1st in anticipation of what should be a very busy free agency in Toronto.
One free agent defenseman giving Maple Leafs something to think about
The team has several interesting RFAs in need of new deals, including the likes of Matias Maccelli, Nicholas Robertson, Jacob Quillan, and the newly acquired Samuel Ersson among them. However, there is another player who began to turn a few heads in Toronto this year who has publicly come out and stated his preference for where he'd like to play next season. That player is 2020 4th round pick William Villeneuve.
Villeneuve was another standout for the Marlies throughout the playoffs, notching an astonishing 23 points across 24 games en route to their Calder Cup victory. If Akhtyamov wasn't so dominant, we could have seen Villeneuve skate away with playoff MVP honours. That's how good he was on the backend for the Buds.
Villeneuve wants to stay put with the Maple Leafs
After capturing a championship and playing a key role in the Marlies' triumph, Villeneuve has publicly established what his own personal plans are ahead of July 1st. The Sherbrooke, PQ native wishes to return to Toronto. TSN's Mark Masters shared some comments directly from Villeneuve on Saturday afternoon.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Calder Cup champ William Villeneuve: <br><br>"I love Toronto. Toronto is my second home. It’s been four years. My contract’s up, but this is where home is for me & I would love to be back here ... I’m going to cherish this moment for the rest of my life"<a href="https://x.com/TSN_Sports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TSN_Sports</a></p>— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) <a href="https://x.com/markhmasters/status/2068183670268080343?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Villeneuve's 30 points in 61 games this season may not have jumped off the page for the Marlies, but the fact that he was able to elevate his game the way he did during the playoffs has certainly given the Leafs something to think long and hard about. Playoff performers are valuable, and the 24-year-old defenseman certainly delivered when it mattered.
A crowded blueline in Toronto poses a problem for Villeneuve
The problem is that even though he was able to sneak into 3 games for the big club this year, the blueline is very crowded at the moment, and there are additional moves expected to try to bolster the group, beyond just the Darren Raddysh acquisition. And even if the Leafs do find a way to move Morgan Rielly, it does seem like a bit of a long shot that Villeneuve earns a roster spot out of training camp.
More likely, what may happen is that Villeneuve will ink a new deal and will be placed on waivers prior to the start of the 2026-27 season in hopes that he'll pass through and can be assigned to the Marlies, where he'll ultimately have to wait for an injury to create a path for him. There's also a chance that the Leafs can look to capitalize on his strong playoff run to boost his trade value and include him in a package for another roster upgrade.
We'll have to wait to see how it all unfolds over the coming weeks.