Surprised to see SDA still even cracking the list. His two seasons in the KHL don't look like something that would warrant a NHL return. I'd say Niemela has a better chance at resurrecting any value here if he can have a big season in Europe.
Ranking Prospects 2025-26
- Thread starter herman
- Start date
herman
Well-known member
TLN 9. William Villeneuve
What a difference a season (and a changing of the playstyle) makes. Going into last season, I thought the team was about to let Villeneuve fall off the radar because it was a bit concerning someone of his profile was not getting many minutes, but the reverse happened (he earned it). His profile aligns very well with what the Leafs want: RD, long, mobile skating, good passing. He, and Noah Chadwick* to some degree, are sort of the grandfathered holdovers from the Dubas era that lines up with the likes of Victor Johansson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Rylan Fellinger type that Treliving likes to pursue (also Dougie Hamilton) to complement the more rough and tumble crease clearers the GM also covets (Ben Danford, Cade Webber, Blake Smith, Chris Tanev x2). This year, he doesn't have Hakanpaa, Mattinen crowded over him -- certainly not in his niche -- so he should be getting lots of Marlies ice time and possibly some mid-season callups if one of the puck movers in the NHL need recovery time.
* drafted while Treliving was at the helm, but the draft list and scouting philosophy were from Dubas
PPP 19. Harry Nansi
He needs work to refine his skating, but as far as raw projects go, there's a lot to work with. I consider him to be like Semyon Der-Arguchintsev with size. He's a transition support centre with oodles of playmaking, hands in tight, and capabilities around the boards. As usual for me, I have lots of time for RH centres that can operate in the slot through traffic (and off the rush).
He's had some time with fellow Leafs prospect Sam McCue
What a difference a season (and a changing of the playstyle) makes. Going into last season, I thought the team was about to let Villeneuve fall off the radar because it was a bit concerning someone of his profile was not getting many minutes, but the reverse happened (he earned it). His profile aligns very well with what the Leafs want: RD, long, mobile skating, good passing. He, and Noah Chadwick* to some degree, are sort of the grandfathered holdovers from the Dubas era that lines up with the likes of Victor Johansson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Rylan Fellinger type that Treliving likes to pursue (also Dougie Hamilton) to complement the more rough and tumble crease clearers the GM also covets (Ben Danford, Cade Webber, Blake Smith, Chris Tanev x2). This year, he doesn't have Hakanpaa, Mattinen crowded over him -- certainly not in his niche -- so he should be getting lots of Marlies ice time and possibly some mid-season callups if one of the puck movers in the NHL need recovery time.
* drafted while Treliving was at the helm, but the draft list and scouting philosophy were from Dubas
PPP 19. Harry Nansi
He needs work to refine his skating, but as far as raw projects go, there's a lot to work with. I consider him to be like Semyon Der-Arguchintsev with size. He's a transition support centre with oodles of playmaking, hands in tight, and capabilities around the boards. As usual for me, I have lots of time for RH centres that can operate in the slot through traffic (and off the rush).
Last edited:
herman
Well-known member
PPP 18. Cade Webber
I don't think there is much there, but the size and skating will give him a long, long leash to try and prove something.
I don't think there is much there, but the size and skating will give him a long, long leash to try and prove something.
His AHL reviews weren't very positive this past season. Maybe he takes a bigger leap in year 2 but I'm not holding my breath.
herman
Well-known member
At best, he's a free spare body. He's got some wheels, but without the accompanying puck handling abilities, it's only good for staying on top of a rush, maybe. Except he also has slow reads at the AHL level. It's conceivable he's a smart cookie and just does the butterfly goalie version of defense: auto take away high-percentage plays by default, and that holds him in good stead against depth offense. At the same time, it's a very saturated market for this player template (defense-only LD) and the Leafs could pick up a relatively established one for pennies.