Dennis Hildeby is gearing up for training camp, looking to take a giant step forward in his development heading into his second professional season in North America. Hildeby is coming off a stellar season for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and his talents aren’t going unnoticed.
Prospect guru Steven Ellis ranked his top-25 NHL-affiliated goaltender prospects at Daily Faceoff and Hildeby slotted in at #18. Ellis, one of the best minds in hockey when it comes to prospects and their potential, likes Hildeby’s game but isn’t necessarily sold he’s the goaltender of the future for the Maple Leafs.
“Consistent goaltending has been difficult to come by for the Leafs, a group that has cycled through options since Ed Belfour left the club in 2006. I’m not sure if Hildeby is the answer, but there’s still a lot to like here. The Maple Leafs took the 6-foot-7 Swedish monster with the 122nd overall pick in 2022 – as a triple overager. For much of the year, Hildeby was a huge part of the Marlies, stealing the No. 1 spot and even earning a call-up to the NHL when Ilya Samsonov was briefly sat to regroup in the winter,” stated Ellis.
“For now, Hildeby is the clear No. 1 with the Marlies this season and might hold that title for another year after that before eventually getting a full-time NHL gig. Hildeby is likely a backup in the NHL, but the size makes him intriguing.”
It’s worth noting Ellis didn’t have the young netminder listed on his rankings ahead of last season and gave Hildeby some flowers after a year where he posted a 21-11-7 record with the Marlies, including a 2.41 GAA and .913 Sv.%. Now 23 years old, Hildeby is fourth on the Leafs’ goaltending depth chart behind Joseph Woll, Anthony Stolarz and Matt Murray. With the likelihood the team won’t carry three goaltenders to start the season, there’s a very good chance Murray could be waived before opening night and considering his decorated resume, is a strong candidate to be claimed.
While Hildeby may be slotted in as the Marlies’ #1 goaltender to start the season, with Murray a potential to be claimed and the injury history of both Woll and Stolarz, the former fourth-rounder could quickly propel up the depth chart.
At #18, Hildeby ranked just ahead of Mads Sogaard of the Ottawa Senators and one spot behind Ilya Nabokov of the Colorado Avalanche.
