A common theme already has surfaced with QMJHL D-man Xavier Villeneuve. The Rimouski, Quebec native, who suits up alongside fellow first-round 2025 picks Justin Carbonneau (STL) and Bill Zonnon (PIT) with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, is drawing comparisons to Montreal’s Lane Hutson for his similar frame and high-end offensive skill. Although standing only 5’11” and weighing in at 157 pounds, Villeneuve nonetheless dominates the competition with a lethal blend of puck skills and high compete level. Villeneuve already has 13 points (2G 11A) in 9 games in 2025-26, and is a unanimous first-round choice in every available draft ranking. Also, the CHL has selected him to compete in the CHL/USA Prospects Challenge next month in Alberta.
Villeneuve is far from a one-trick pony, however. Not only is he rated at a +13 on the season, he routinely chooses to be pitted against his largest, strongest teammates in practice to continue developing an NHL-style game. This strategy appears to be working very well, as his current +/- ratio is just one shy of all last season, when he was named the QMJHL’s D-man of the year (he is just the 3rd 17 year old to win the award).
To sum it up, Villeneuve is a 200-foot player in training.