<div class="mb-5"><em class="text-lg italic">The TLN Maple Leafs prospect rankings were compiled by a panel of seven TLN writers, each ranking our top 20 prospects to form a consensus group ranking.</em></div>
<div></div>
<div class="mb-5"><em class="text-lg italic">Rather than hard and fast limits on age or NHL games played to determine “prospect” eligibility, our group decided on a more nuanced approach to include any reasonably young player who is either under contract with the Leafs or on the club’s reserve list, who has not yet established himself as a full-time NHLer.</em></div>
<div></div>
<div>Every team wishes they could have a top goaltending prospect in their pipeline.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Is Dennis Hildeby Toronto&#8217;s? He&#8217;s their best bet, and, really, there does appear to be potential for him to become a realistic long-term option for the Maple Leafs.</div>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<div></div>
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<div class="mb-5">Toronto took the 6-foot-7 Swedish monster with the 122nd overall pick in 2022 as a triple coverage. That almost never happens, but the Leafs clearly saw something in him. Hildeby put himself on the map after putting up some great numbers in limited pro action with Farjestad in the SHL. He had a .931 save percentage in seven games, matching the same numbers in 12 U-20 league games. Given he had so little pro experience at 21 years old, when most other top European goalie prospects have at least 2-3 years under their belt, it was still a surprising pick.</div>
<div></div>
<div class="mb-5">Goalies often develop at different rates than regular skaters, and so many variables go into scouting the position. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s often smart to take one almost every year to give you the best odds at finding just one that sticks. Many liked the Timofei Obvintsev pick at No. 157 in June. He hasn&#8217;t played a ton the past few years, but he&#8217;s got size and stole a handful of games this year in the MHL after getting passed over in 2023. At that point, why not take a chance on a big European goaltender who can stick at home for a few years before making the move over? And that&#8217;s why the Hildeby selection made sense. He was already older and had more experience than most others in the 2022 class, which helped speed up his timeline.</div>
</div>
<div></div>
<div>When Hildeby made the jump to the AHL this past year, growing pains were expected. Hildeby had played just parts of three games with the Marlies in 2022-23, so he had limited experience playing, or living, in North America. Europeans will tell you it&#8217;s tricky trying to adjust to a new lifestyle in unfamiliar territory.</div>
<div></div>
<div>But, in reality, he took like a fish to water. Hildeby went 21-11-7 with four shutouts and a .913 save percentage during the regular season, earning him a spot on the North Division roster for the 2024 AHL All-Star Game. At times, he was easily one of the better goalies in the AHL, and he far surpassed the play seen by the likes of Keith Petruzzelli and Luke Cavallin, as well as NHL veterans Matt Murray and Martin Jones.</div>
<div></div>
<div>When Ilya Samsonov was placed on waivers and took some time away from the game over the winter, Hildeby was called up to help back up Jones. He didn&#8217;t play, but it was still good for him to be with the big club, see how life in the NHL was like and train with the coaching staff.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Hildeby is more than just a big goaltender. His ability to push off quickly in his crease with little effort allows him to get himself where he needs to be. He&#8217;s got active footwork and some quick hands, too. He is prone to some mid-level shots beating him below the glove, but he doesn&#8217;t typically allow a pair of bad goals in the same game because he&#8217;s so laser-focused. The size obviously helps cover the top of the net, but he doesn&#8217;t rely on it as much as he used to at a younger age in Sweden.</div>
<div></div>
<div>From the get-go, the plan always seemed to be to stay patient with Hildeby and not rush him up, even with Ilya Samsonov leaving via free agency. Another year in the AHL, at least, is in order, and he&#8217;s the undisputed No. 1 with the Marlies, especially with Petruzelli gone. The Marlies will have Russians Artur Akhtyamov and Slava Peksa at their disposal, too, but Hildeby is far and away the best option the team has. That is, of course, unless the Leafs send Matt Murray down, which could steal from his opportunities.</div>
<div></div>
<div>And that&#8217;s good. Hildeby needs starts, and the Leafs need to prioritize playing time with him. Joseph Woll appears to be Toronto&#8217;s goaltender of the future, but Hildeby does have a legitimate shot at pushing to be in the conversation for the long run, as well.</div>
<div></div>
<div>
<div class="mb-5">“Give Hildeby some time, because he needs it. But many seem confident that he’s an NHL-caliber goalie,” a scout previously told The Leafs Nation. “But in what way? We’ll see. There’s some intriguing qualities there that could make him a starter.”</div>
</div>
<div></div>
<div>If you&#8217;re looking for a realistic timeline as to when we could see Hildeby becoming a Leaf full-time, a good guess suggests it&#8217;ll be after Anthony Stolarz finishes his two-year deal in 2026. By then, Hildeby will have three years and potentially 120 games of experience with the Marlies, so they&#8217;ll have a solid idea as to whether he&#8217;s the real deal or not.</div>
<div></div>
<div>But if Hildeby can build on his game to a much higher level this year, maybe the Leafs make Stolarz a trade asset next season and give Hildeby a shot. He&#8217;s already 23, so it&#8217;s not like he&#8217;s an unknown quantity at this point. It&#8217;s hard to see him taking big strides forward, so we just need to see what he can do against NHL competition at some point soon.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Either way, the next few years will be fascinating for the Swedish keeper. Toronto has struggled to find a long-term option in net, and while that might be Woll, having Hildeby in waiting doesn&#8217;t hurt, either.</div>
<div></div>
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
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<div class="mb-5"><em class="text-lg italic">The TLN Maple Leafs prospect rankings were compiled by a panel of seven TLN writers, each ranking our top 20 prospects to form a consensus group ranking.</em></div>
<div></div>
<div class="mb-5"><em class="text-lg italic">Rather than hard and fast limits on age or NHL games played to determine “prospect” eligibility, our group decided on a more nuanced approach to include any reasonably young player who is either under contract with the Leafs or on the club’s reserve list, who has not yet established himself as a full-time NHLer.</em></div>
<div></div>
<div>Every team wishes they could have a top goaltending prospect in their pipeline.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Is Dennis Hildeby Toronto's? He's their best bet, and, really, there does appear to be potential for him to become a realistic long-term option for the Maple Leafs.</div>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<div></div>
<div>
<div class="mb-5">Toronto took the 6-foot-7 Swedish monster with the 122nd overall pick in 2022 as a triple coverage. That almost never happens, but the Leafs clearly saw something in him. Hildeby put himself on the map after putting up some great numbers in limited pro action with Farjestad in the SHL. He had a .931 save percentage in seven games, matching the same numbers in 12 U-20 league games. Given he had so little pro experience at 21 years old, when most other top European goalie prospects have at least 2-3 years under their belt, it was still a surprising pick.</div>
<div></div>
<div class="mb-5">Goalies often develop at different rates than regular skaters, and so many variables go into scouting the position. That's why it's often smart to take one almost every year to give you the best odds at finding just one that sticks. Many liked the Timofei Obvintsev pick at No. 157 in June. He hasn't played a ton the past few years, but he's got size and stole a handful of games this year in the MHL after getting passed over in 2023. At that point, why not take a chance on a big European goaltender who can stick at home for a few years before making the move over? And that's why the Hildeby selection made sense. He was already older and had more experience than most others in the 2022 class, which helped speed up his timeline.</div>
</div>
<div></div>
<div>When Hildeby made the jump to the AHL this past year, growing pains were expected. Hildeby had played just parts of three games with the Marlies in 2022-23, so he had limited experience playing, or living, in North America. Europeans will tell you it's tricky trying to adjust to a new lifestyle in unfamiliar territory.</div>
<div></div>
<div>But, in reality, he took like a fish to water. Hildeby went 21-11-7 with four shutouts and a .913 save percentage during the regular season, earning him a spot on the North Division roster for the 2024 AHL All-Star Game. At times, he was easily one of the better goalies in the AHL, and he far surpassed the play seen by the likes of Keith Petruzzelli and Luke Cavallin, as well as NHL veterans Matt Murray and Martin Jones.</div>
<div></div>
<div>When Ilya Samsonov was placed on waivers and took some time away from the game over the winter, Hildeby was called up to help back up Jones. He didn't play, but it was still good for him to be with the big club, see how life in the NHL was like and train with the coaching staff.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Hildeby is more than just a big goaltender. His ability to push off quickly in his crease with little effort allows him to get himself where he needs to be. He's got active footwork and some quick hands, too. He is prone to some mid-level shots beating him below the glove, but he doesn't typically allow a pair of bad goals in the same game because he's so laser-focused. The size obviously helps cover the top of the net, but he doesn't rely on it as much as he used to at a younger age in Sweden.</div>
<div></div>
<div>From the get-go, the plan always seemed to be to stay patient with Hildeby and not rush him up, even with Ilya Samsonov leaving via free agency. Another year in the AHL, at least, is in order, and he's the undisputed No. 1 with the Marlies, especially with Petruzelli gone. The Marlies will have Russians Artur Akhtyamov and Slava Peksa at their disposal, too, but Hildeby is far and away the best option the team has. That is, of course, unless the Leafs send Matt Murray down, which could steal from his opportunities.</div>
<div></div>
<div>And that's good. Hildeby needs starts, and the Leafs need to prioritize playing time with him. Joseph Woll appears to be Toronto's goaltender of the future, but Hildeby does have a legitimate shot at pushing to be in the conversation for the long run, as well.</div>
<div></div>
<div>
<div class="mb-5">“Give Hildeby some time, because he needs it. But many seem confident that he’s an NHL-caliber goalie,” a scout previously told The Leafs Nation. “But in what way? We’ll see. There’s some intriguing qualities there that could make him a starter.”</div>
</div>
<div></div>
<div>If you're looking for a realistic timeline as to when we could see Hildeby becoming a Leaf full-time, a good guess suggests it'll be after Anthony Stolarz finishes his two-year deal in 2026. By then, Hildeby will have three years and potentially 120 games of experience with the Marlies, so they'll have a solid idea as to whether he's the real deal or not.</div>
<div></div>
<div>But if Hildeby can build on his game to a much higher level this year, maybe the Leafs make Stolarz a trade asset next season and give Hildeby a shot. He's already 23, so it's not like he's an unknown quantity at this point. It's hard to see him taking big strides forward, so we just need to see what he can do against NHL competition at some point soon.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Either way, the next few years will be fascinating for the Swedish keeper. Toronto has struggled to find a long-term option in net, and while that might be Woll, having Hildeby in waiting doesn't hurt, either.</div>
<div></div>
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
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