General manager John Chayka said Wednesday that Villeneuve is recovering from knee surgery, Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun reports.

It's not clear when Villeneuve underwent his procedure, but the procedure was described as an ACL "construction" that is expected to sideline the defenseman for a long-term period, Jonas Siegel and Joshua Kloke of The Athletic report. Villeneuve signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Maple Leafs in July after he generated 30 points across 61 regular-season appearances with AHL Toronto last year.