The Maple Leafs sat out Sunday's waiver frenzy, but William Villeneuve looks like the name most likely to hit the wire before today's roster deadline.
Seventy players were placed on waivers Sunday, and not a single one belonged to the Leafs, according to Hockey Patrol.
The Leafs are still expected to make cuts and possibly waive one more player, with Villeneuve seen as the likely candidate.
The blue line is simply crowded after a recent signing, which leaves no clear spot for him right now, according to the report.
He's coming off 30 points in 61 AHL games with the Toronto Marlies.
He then added 23 points in 24 playoff games for the Marlies last spring.
So why would the Leafs risk losing him?
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Because roster math doesn't care about playoff runs. Teams have to be set by today, and somebody on that blue line has to go.
Villeneuve got a three-game look with the Leafs last season and finished plus-1, still searching for his first NHL point.
The season before, he posted 40 points and a plus-17 in 55 games for the Marlies.
He carries an $875,000 cap hit through 2027-28, with restricted free agency after that.
His best junior season came with Saint John in 2021-22, when he put up 56 points and finished plus-60.
The Leafs drafted the Sherbrooke, Quebec, native 122nd overall in 2020.
Waiving him is a real gamble. A 24-year-old right-shot defenseman coming off that kind of playoff run is exactly the type another team claims.
It's like leaving a good bike unlocked outside a busy coffee shop. You might get lucky, but you probably shouldn't count on it.
The Leafs already carry Auston Matthews at $13,250,000 and William Nylander at $11,500,000.
They finished the preseason 2-1-1 and host the Canadiens on Tuesday to open the regular season.
If Villeneuve does go on the wire, 31 other teams get a crack at him. The Leafs may not like who answers.
Should the Maple Leafs risk losing William Villeneuve on waivers?
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