Things appear to be going from bad to worse for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they continue to be their own worst enemy after their 5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins. Then a 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings where the self-inflicted wounds continued once again. The loses are piling up and the heat is intensifying with each disappointing performance.
They have given up a league worst 3.83 goals against per game and have allowed the most goals against at five-on-five with 50. Once a team that prided itself on defence to limit chances against last year, the Maple Leafs have constantly given up breakaways, odd-man rushes and a number of rush chances per game this season. That alone is a cause for concern.
The defence is at the forefront of all the scrutiny for the Maple Leafs as there have been costly errors made by everyone. While there’s no easy fix to address via trade, making an internal move couldn’t hurt as some veteran players have continued to underperform.
Benoit & Myers Haven’t Performed Well
Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe and Brandon Carlo have clearly made a number of mistakes as of late within their own end. Be it poor awareness or turning the puck over at the worst possible time, the mistakes have been glaring. While the buck should stop with the top defenders, the depth defenders haven’t done well either.
Simon Benoit, Toronto Maple Leafs (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Puck movement and breakouts within their own end have been a real issue as the turnovers continue to pile on for the Maple Leafs. The team needs to find a way to get faster and having players like Simon Benoit and Philippe Myers as depth defenders isn’t cutting it, as their numbers alone this season support that. Here are their numbers at 5-on-5 as they haven’t been playing to a high level the team needs.
CategoryBenoit’s NumbersMyers’ NumbersxGF%45.29%45.89%SCF%43.98%44.44%HDCF%43.82%41.67%
While the Maple Leafs’ defenders’ numbers as a whole aren’t great, both Benoit and Myers are further down the ranks in terms of their overall performance as they have been hemmed in their zone. As of late, they have been less impactful compared to everyone else. Benoit hasn’t truly been a strong defender as he really only had one good season with the Maple Leafs back in 2023/24 as these charts from Evolving Hockey shows. Myers’ numbers are just as bad and even with the Maple Leafs dealing with injuries, his play hasn’t warranted more game time.
Benoit hasn’t been consistent enough as a defender as his struggles date back to last season. Myers has gone back and forth between the NHL and American Hockey League in his career. After playing in 36 games with the Maple Leafs last season, he hasn’t had that same level of play and consistency, much like Benoit. Seeing as the team needs to add more speed and mobility with the puck, those are two players that really haven’t done that as they too have had their fair share of poor exits and breakouts.
Related: 3 Questions the Maple Leafs Must Answer to Find Their Footing Again
Which is why it might be time to give other defenders a shot to see what they can do.
Thrun, Villeneuve Deserve a Call-Up
If Benoit and Myers continue to have poor outings, it definitely can open up opportunities for other players from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. Specifically for Henry Thrun and William Villeneuve as they have had good starts to their season offensively.
Henry Thrun, San Jose Sharks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Both defenders have eight points in 13 games. Combined, their 16 points clearly surpass the combined two points that Benoit and Myers have. Villeneuve has seven assists– three of which are primary points– and a goals for percentage of 58.6% when he’s on the ice. Thrun already has three goals as both are playing well for the Marlies in the top-four. Seeing how the Maple Leafs could use a little more jump, offense on the back end and other moves not even remotely close to getting any traction, why not give two younger players a chance to see what they can do over two struggling veterans?
Both players instantly provide a little more mobility and could very well be better options on the breakout compared to what we’re seeing right now. Thrun has a lot of untapped potential to his game, as he was acquired in the summer in the Ryan Reaves trade. He’s quiet but strong in transition, which could be a good thing for the Maple Leafs where he can calm things down and then breakout quickly. He could be more of a stronger, two-way player.
William Villeneuve, Toronto Marlies (Jonathan Kozub / Manitoba Moose)
In four full seasons with the Marlies, Villeneuve and has tallied 98 points in 178 games. He had a career-best 40 points last season and is on-pace to surpass that this season with 45 points. Coming into the season, I had him as a top-10 prospect in the organization, given the growth and steps he has taken to become a reliable defender for the team. He also had some good moments in the preseason. Yes, he can still be raw defensively, but he provides offense and pace, which would be all the more reason to call him up. Benoit is not offensively driven and if Villeneuve could even provide better defence than Benoitl, then that could be in his favour.
Related: 7 Marlies Players to Watch for 2025-26 Season
Thrun and Villeneuve aren’t going to be a permanent fix for what’s ailing the Maple Leafs blueline. Though, their performance to start the season could be a reason to play them over two defenders that are struggling in the NHL right now. While there’s plenty of questions for every defender, Thrun and Villeneuve could provide a different element and look for this team. In addition, they could lean on other players to help them through the process and transition. The Maple Leafs need offense and those two can bring just that.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick and AHL Tracker.
