Our highest-ranked Maple Leafs goalie prospect comes as no shock, as 6’7”, 22-year-old monster Dennis Hildeby arrives on our list at #6 overall.
Hildeby is absolutely massive, which is easily his greatest asset in net. The recipe is simple, being big helps Hildeby cover more of the net and stay deeper in his crease without being punished.
But being big doesn’t get you into the NHL, and it certainly doesn’t automatically make you one of the best goalie prospects in the league. Hildeby is steady and calm while playing to his greatest strengths in net, making him one of the best young goalies in the AHL.
Let’s examine what makes Hildeby so promising, apart from simply his size.
Strengths/weaknesses
Being so big, Hildeby isn’t the quickest or smoothest on his feet, but he isn’t slow, either. It’s important for a goalie his size to still be able to move efficiently, and he does. He’s rarely behind the play, even though it would be easier for him to make up for it given his height.
Hildeby finds himself in proper position the vast majority of the time thanks to his ability to move quickly enough and track pucks fairly well, but a big part of his positioning is the fact he stays deep in his net.
Being able to look right over screening forwards helps a ton, and Hildeby uses this to his advantage. He can stay almost along the goal line, track the puck across the ice, then challenge in the right spot when he knows a shot is coming. Not every goalie has the luxury of doing this, but Hildeby does.
Of course, his coverage of the upper half of the net is also amazing. Even when he’s in his butterfly, his shoulders and arms cover both corners up to the crossbar. It will be hard for anyone, at any level, to beat Hildeby up high.
But being so big can have its disadvantages. While he moves well for his size, Hildeby will never be the quickest or most athletic in net. This means he’ll need to rely on his positioning more than anything, and there are some concerns in that regard.
First of all, Hildeby has always played super deep in his net. While it can work because of how tall he is, it means that if he loses track of a puck, there is a lot of room left for a shooter.
It also means the lower half of the net isn’t covered nearly enough, leaving Hildeby susceptible to low blocker and low glove goals. His rebound control is iffy at times, again because if he reacts slowly, his lower body positioning isn’t great.
Hildeby is still only 22, so these are issues that can be solved. But to stay consistent at the next level, he’ll need to find a way to position himself better consistently.
Production
| Season | League | Team | GP | W-L-T | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | J20 SuperElit | Timrå IK J20 | 27 | 16-10-0 | 2.75 | .911 | 2 |
| 2020–21 | J20 Nationell | Färjestad BK J20 | 18 | 7-11-0 | 3.10 | .911 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | J20 Nationell | Färjestad BK J20 | 12 | 6-5-0 | 2.80 | .931 | 0 |
| SHL | Färjestad BK | 7 | 3-2-0 | 1.93 | .931 | 1 | |
| 2022–23 | SHL | Färjestad BK | 21 | 11-9-0 | 2.26 | .918 | 3 |
| 2023–24 | AHL | Toronto Marlies | 41 | 22-11-7 | 2.41 | .913 | 4 |
Hildeby was drafted late, not until 2022, but has been fantastic since joining the Maple Leafs organization.
He had a very impressive full season in the AHL, posting solid numbers as a 22-year-old. Newer to North America, Hildeby will need another couple seasons of consistent performance to really establish himself as a top-end prospect.
Hip surgery and COVID-19 really limited the ice time Hildeby saw in his late teens and early 20s, but it’s clear Hildeby has run with any opportunity he’s gotten.
Next steps
The Leafs have three very promising young goalies who will all be competing for the next few years. Hildeby, Joseph Woll, and #7 prospect on our list Artur Akhtyamov could all end up being solid NHL starters, so consistency is the key.
For Hildeby, slight tweaks in his style could mean all the difference. Challenging more, and becoming a bit more positionally sound, will help him maximize his size and cut off all areas of the net.
With his size, if he can comfortably come near the top of the blue paint while still being quick enough to move from post to post, he will be unbelievable. You can’t teach height, and Hildeby knows he has to maximize his gift.
It’ll be a battle between Hildeby and Akhtyamov next year, but seeing as Hildeby already has the AHL experience, he’s in a bit of a better spot as of now.
Projection
It’s very easy to see why so many are high on Hildeby, and his ceiling is greater than any other goalie currently in the Leafs organization.
Whether he reaches that ceiling is another story, but Hildeby has the skill and tools to become a tandem member fairly soon.
Without positional improvement, Hildeby could cap out as a 1B, but that size does not go away. If he can develop just a bit more (and he should, he’s only 22), he could end up a very solid starter in the NHL.
