The Toronto Maple Leafs‘ struggles on defence have been well-documented this season, and perhaps no aspect of that has been a bigger hindrance than their inability to move the puck consistently.

It was an issue that plagued them last season, which they were able to mask with a sound system that covered up that blemish until it was exposed by the Florida Panthers in the second round. Since that humbling loss at the hands of the reigning Stanley Cup winners, the Leafs’ lack of defensive structure and struggles moving the puck have been a key reason why they sit near the bottom of the NHL standings at the time of filing.

The reason why this has been a problem is that a change in their defensive system has not been a good fit with the players currently available to the team, who collectively have trouble getting the puck up the ice. Even when they are at full strength, it has been evident that there needed to be tweaks to the construction of the backend in order to get the most optimal results with what the coaching staff is asking them to do. There clearly aren’t enough strong puck movers on the NHL squad, and these problems will continue to plague the team as long as they are not addressed.

Fortunately for them, they have an internal option who could help them out in that department and is becoming difficult to ignore in seeking an opportunity in William Villeneuve.

He has been the Toronto Marlies’ most productive defenceman on offence so far this season, carrying over his strong play from the year prior. Villeneuve currently sits fourth on the team in scoring with 12 points (two goals and 10 assists) in 20 games, while becoming a permanent fixture in the lineup and getting top-pairing minutes. There is still plenty of runway left in this season, but he is on pace to smash his previous career best of 40 points that he established last season.

A big part of what helped him explode on the offensive side of the ice is his hockey IQ and strong awareness of where to send the puck, as the right-shot defenceman does well in spotting an open skater to either start the breakout or create a rush-scoring chance. Being a strong skater allows Villeneuve to also jump into the play when needed and create some separation to allow his teammates to take over and get into the high-danger areas, which increases the likelihood of a goal. His work on improving his stride, four-way mobility, and composure under pressure has gone a long way in his growth on the offensive side of the puck.

Head coach Craig Berube would surely value that aspect of his game, but only if it is complemented by solid fundamentals in the defensive zone, because that is the only way to become a mainstay in the NHL. To Villeneuve’s credit, that aspect of his game has seen improvements over the past few years and it seems like he is on the cusp of putting it all together. He could make up for blemishes when defending the rush with his foot speed to minimize the damage and put out the fire. While far from an imposing physical presence, he will stay in position to keep the opponents honest and that allows him to be effective at creating turnovers. It helps that he has an ideal body size of 6’2″ and 183 pounds to not look out of place, and he deserves some props for taking strides in being more comfortable playing physically.

This is clearly a guy who has been able to work his way up the depth chart with his offensive prowess, and our ninth-ranked prospect is more than deserving of a chance to prove himself at the NHL level. The fact that it has not occurred to this point is certainly frustrating for those who believe Villeneuve could make an impact, especially because the Leafs granted him a one-year extension this offseason as a reward for his continued growth.

Villeneuve provides help in the puck-moving department that wouldn’t cost the Leafs anything more than a roster spot and cap space, which comes in handy given the bare cupboard of tradeable assets. The team as a whole would benefit from having an influx of younger talent, such as him, being given a chance to show what they can do at the NHL level, as has been evident by the emergence of Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan’s solid stint a few weeks back. By no means is Villeneuve going to light the league on fire, but there is no reason to believe he wouldn’t fare better than Philippe Myers who has struggled mightily and is statistically among the worst in the league so far this season.

It would be a disservice for the Leafs not to see what they have in the 23-year-old, even if it’s only for a cup of coffee. While the prospect pool is far from the upper-echelon, there are plenty of quality players in the AHL who could help the Leafs right now and Villeneuve is one of them. There’s no harm in pairing him with Simon Benoit for a game or two in sheltered minutes and then working his way up if he does well, which certainly beats the alternative of having to see Myers continue to struggle.

It’s beyond time for the Leafs to bring up Villeneuve and allow him the opportunity to prove himself.