Photo credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
With all the discussion about Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll holding things down suitably this year, it’s Dennis Hildeby who has proven he can be more than a backup.
Injuries have certainly played their part, and while the goaltending has been solid at times it hasn’t been anywhere near the elite level of crease protection they had last year — not to mention their defensive woes.
Dennis Hildeby starting to show real promise as NHL goaltender
However there are a few bright spots we can look at this season, with one of the biggest being Dennis Hildeby’s emergence as a potential NHL starter.
Looking much more poised than he did last season, Hildeby came in and made sure that the team was able to compete when Stolarz was hurt, and while he had his struggles a bit; was clearly a much better competitor.
And some stats show that he’s part of a pretty solid group of goalies:
Hildeby is ranked 15th in goals saved above expected with him joining top names such as Jeremy Swagman, Logan Thompson, and Karel Vejmelka.
He also ranks ninth in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes and granted this is based off of a minimum of one minute played; he’s still been solid and been the unfortunate benefactor of some bad luck in OT.
Why the emergence of Hildeby helps Toronto even if he isn’t playing
Hildeby has a 5-6-4 record with a 2.90 GAA and .910 SV%. If he had a bit stronger of a defensive group in front of him those numbers could be better which is a huge leap from his minimal starts last year.
If the Maple Leafs can turn one and a half years of good goaltending into a boatload of assets, they can at least rest comfortably knowing they have a much better goalie pipeline than in years past and are set up nicely for the future.
While it might not be Dennis Hildeby’s time right now, he’s shown that once he’s called upon he can turn in NHL-level performances.
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Toronto’s top goalie this season isn’t who most Leafs fans would guess
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