It seems the Toronto Maple Leafs have a secret weapon in their AHL system with goaltender Dennis Hildeby and Elliotte Friedman notes other teams have taken notice.
It’s clear the Maple Leafs had a plan when they drafted goaltender Dennis Hildeby in the 4th Round in 2022 and he’s already made a name for himself for Toronto’s AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies and had a very solid preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens where he went the distance and got the win, only allowing one goal against a fairly NHL-heavy Canadiens team; though it seems that the Swedish goaltender has some other suitors as well, if NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman is to be believed.
ildeby, who played the whole game and won [on Saturday], someone said to me he was by far the Leafs’ best prospect in the American Hockey League last year, and there’s nothing we’ve seen so far that disputes that.I’m pretty sure they got asked about him last year, and I don’t think they ever considered it seriously, and you can see that they have — I think they’re starting to have bigger future plans for this guy.’
It’s obvious to Friedman that Toronto clearly has a plan when it comes to Hildeby and that the team would need to be blown away by such a ludicrous offer to get rid of Hildeby and it’s no wonder why. He’s a giant at 6’7, and put together an incredibly solid season for the Marlies in 2023-2024 where he amassed a 21-11-7 record with a 2.41 GAA and .913 SV% and while he was used to playing in a much different type of ice back in Sweden, his transition into North American hockey has been as smooth as silk. He earned himself the backup goaltender job when the Maple Leafs struggled with injuries last year
Hildeby has always felt like a dark horse in the Maple Leafs system, and it feels like for the first time in a long time that Toronto has had this level of anticipation for a goaltender; the last time they traded him to Boston and it backfired spectacularly. Fans have a reason to be excited for Hildeby and his ascension to elite status should not be overlooked by anyone and he will earn himself a spot sooner than later.
The hype around Dennis Hildeby is starting to grow steadier and steadier each day, and the better he plays the more the league takes notice. If Toronto wants to make a smart decision, they’ll look at these offers knowing they hold all the leverage with their Swedish ‘Hildebeast’.