As part of our Maple Leafs coverage at the Toronto Sun, we’re keeping tabs on the club’s prospects, checking in on a weekly basis with the Leafs’ hopefuls across the hockey landscape.
Today, we talk to goaltender Dennis Hildeby, now back with the Toronto Marlies after a sound couple of months with the Leafs.
The goalie with the best save percentage for the Leafs wasn’t on the plane when the club departed for Seattle on Wednesday afternoon for a four-game trip that begins against the Kraken on Thursday night.
That would be Hildeby, who sported a .912 mark in 19 games between Nov. 8 and Jan. 19 as Anthony Stolarz recovered from an upper-body nerve issue.
Why aren’t the Leafs carrying three goalies?
With the return of Stolarz, the Leafs made the decision to forge ahead without three goalies on the roster, as Stolarz (.880 save percentage in 14 games) and Joseph Woll (.908 in 23 games) will be entrusted with trying to help get the Leafs back into a realistic playoff race.
Toronto barely is keeping its head above water, as it was eight points out of a spot before the game against Seattle.
Leafs coach Craig Berube was testy on Tuesday night after the Leafs ended their five-game home stand with a fifth consecutive loss, a 7-4 defeat at the hands of the improved Buffalo Sabres.
Berube cut off a question about whether he wished he had Hildeby as the futile run at Scotiabank Arena came to an end.
“These are our guys,” Berube said. “Stolarz is back, ready to go. These are the decisions you have to make. They’re our goalies.”
Before the Leafs departed on Wednesday, the team recalled defenceman Marshall Rifai from the Marlies. In turn, defencemen Henry Thrun and Dakota Mermis (after he cleared waivers) were assigned to the farm club.
Our take on this? It wouldn’t have hurt the Leafs to use one of the 23-player roster spots on Hildeby. Instead, they took eight defencemen on the trip and had Rifai not been recalled, Hildeby could have fit under the cap.
The Leafs are deep into must-win mode. You could win an argument that Hildeby would give Toronto as much of a chance, if not better, to win than Woll or Stolarz as we hit the end of January.
Stolarz gets a bit of a reprieve because he has had only one start since coming off the sideline, but Woll has been mediocre, allowing 22 goals in his past five games.
Hildeby was sent back to the Marlies last week. After the club returned to Toronto from a three-game trip on Monday night, he joined the Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate on Wednesday for practice at the Ford Performance Centre.
What is Hildeby’s outlook?
There’s no bitterness with Hildeby — not that we expected any considering his unruffled manner — that he is in the minors after proving that he is National Hockey League ready.
“That’s where I want to be, up there, 100%, like the rest of us,” Hildeby said. “But it’s such a good spot to be when it comes to the AHL.
“I just have to keep working. This is how things go. Just have to make the most of it and try to get better.
“It’s a tough league to break into (and stay there permanently). It’s not going to just happen.”
One big difference for Hildeby from last season, when he played in six games with the Leafs, is his technique in the crease. In short, he is in better control than what we saw in 2024-25, when his last game with the Leafs came in January.
“He’s playing calme, and he’s allowing his size to be effective instead of giving himself up and being scrambly,” Marlies coach John Gruden said. “With any goalie, when he’s confident, he’s probably really calm and square and poised, and if he’s not, he can get a little jumpy. That’s normal.
“He definitely has seemed like he has cleaned that up, and it seems like he has taken a step in the right direction.
“I’m not worried about Dennis. He played extremely well up there.”
How does experience help Hildeby?
A rise in confidence, stemming from another year on his professional hockey resume, has been a benefit for the 24-year-old Hildeby.
“As the games went on, it got better,” Hildeby said. “I felt more ready for the opportunity this year than last year for sure, even though last year was a good step in my career, learning-wise, figuring out what I need to improve.”
In all likelihood, we probably haven’t seen the last of Hildeby with the Leafs in 2025-26.
Not only do Woll and Stolarz carry a history of injuries, the Leafs could decide at some point that Hildeby is their best option.
“We’ll see,” Hildeby said. “I’ll take it day by day as usual and stay in the present. But I’m excited to see the guys (with the Marlies) again.”
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