"Leafs cloned Mitch Marner before he left": TOR fans surprised by William Villeneuve's resemblance to former player

The Toronto Maple Leafs' latest roster move has left fans scratching their heads and seeing double.

With the announcement of defenseman William Villeneuve's one-year, two-way contract extension, hockey enthusiasts have been quick to point out the uncanny resemblance between the young blue-liner and former Leafs star Mitch Marner.

The comparisons have been swift and humorous, with one fan quipping:

"Leafs cloned Mitch Marner before he left."

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@IrRagel

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leafs cloned marner before he left

Another wrote:

"I looked three times and saw 16. Finally saw it’s 76. Thought it was Marner."

openhbar

@openhbar

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I looked three times and saw 16. Finally saw it’s 76. Thought it was Marner.

Here are some more fan reactions:

"Legit thought this was Marner and that I’d finally learned the art of time travel.. disappointing, as I haven’t in fact learned the art of time travel.. ," one fan wrote,

"OMG are we still talking about Mitch Marner? He has joined a good team and he will have a good season! Toronto, meh?" another fan wrote.

"The Leafs really cloned Mitch Marner, gave Vegas the clone, and kept the real Mitch under witness protection and renamed him William Villeneuve. Tell me where in the CBA is there a rule on cloning?" a user commented.

"Yea I don't see it.. Seems like somebody wanting something to be that just isn't anymore," another wrote.

At 23, Villeneuve is coming off a solid season with the Leafs' AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, where he recorded 40 points in 55 games.

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Ex-Leafs player Jay Rosehill tips William Nylander to break out in Mitch Marner's absence

Jay Rosehill believes that with Mitch Marner traded, it could be the perfect opportunity for William Nylander to break out and showcase his offensive prowess. On the Leafs Nation podcast, Rosehill said:

"I kind of had a little spicy one with [William] Nylander cresting the 100-point threshold and overshadowing Mitch. It was a very polarizing debate on whether you extend this guy or continue with the core four."

Rosehill believes that it’ll be interesting to see how the season unfolds, especially with talents like Matthews, Nylander and Marner capable of cracking the 100-point barrier. While Nylander hasn’t hit that mark yet, Rosehill thinks it could be the year he finally gets there.

Jay Rosehill suited up for the Maple Leafs between 2009 and 2011.