Toronto is banking heavily on a Sergei Bobrovsky/Anthony Stolarz tandem this summer and traded Dennis Hildeby to do so, and he just helped Tampa rank #1 for goalies.
The Maple Leafs made several offseason changes to their roster but none may be bigger than adding Sergei Bobrovsky as their new starter. It was such a change in fact that the team traded away Joseph Woll, Samuel Ersson (who came over in the Woll deal initially, then traded again) and Dennis Hildeby in order to make room for the two-time Cup winner and long-time veteran.
But in doing so they split up a pipeline that was showing some serious promise, with Hildeby potentially next in line to replace Stolarz and perhaps build a homegrown tandem with Woll. However, his spot was taken over by Artur Akhtyamov and after his MVP performance - the Maple Leafs switched gears.
Hildeby had proven that he could handle the pressures of an NHL goalie and while he hasn't proven he can be a full-time starter, he's one fantastic backup to have when your main starter needs a rest.
Toronto's expensive tandem was nowhere to be seen as two Atlantic rivals make the list
It's why the Tampa Bay Lightning targeted Hildeby for insurance behind Andrei Vasilevskiy, and in doing so may have given themselves the best 1-2 punch in the NHL - at least according to The Hockey Writers.
A recent article ranked the 10 best goaltender duos with two of the Maple Leafs' top Atlantic rivals making the list, with Hildeby and Vasilevskiy topping the list. Also joining them was Montreal's Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler, but it's the Lightning tandem that got a ton of praise from the writers:
The reigning Vezina Trophy winner gets the No. 1 spot. Andrei Vasilevskiy, even if his advanced metrics aren't what they used to be, is still high-end....he's able to take on a huge workload, which makes him even more valuable.
Dennis Hildeby will be an interesting backup option. He recorded a .912 save percentage in 20 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but they decided to trade the 24-year-old and draft picks for forward Nick Paul.
Nowhere on that list however was the tandem of Stolarz and Bobrovsky, with duos such as Logan Thompson/Charlie Lindgren and Ilya Sorokin/Vitek Vanecek beating them out for a spot on the list as well.
That could be due to concerns about the age of both men as Stolarz is 32 and Bobrovsky will be 38, and both are coming off down years where Stolarz struggled to remain healthy and Bobrovsky wasn't his usual self as part of a Panthers down year.
With Vasilevskiy able to withstand a workload of 55-60 starts a season, that's perfect for Hildeby given he can suit up for 20 or so games and get a fair bit of exposure while also not needing to shoulder a heavy workload right away.
Hildeby, 24, had a 5-7-4 record last year with the aforementioned .912 SV% to go along with a 2.86 GAA and was actually perfect when Toronto was shorthanded, saving all 13 shots he faced last year - he also makes peanuts at $841,667 AAV for this season and the next.
Hildeby's placement puts Nick Paul's trade into a new perspective
For a backup who could give you 12-15 wins and above average metrics, it's a steal and it goes to show you how much the Maple Leafs valued Paul then, given that they not only traded Hildeby but also a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick to the Lightning.
Paul is going to be a versatile centre who can help out on the PK, offer scoring help, and is a clutch playoff performer but Hildeby offers a lot more insurance behind an oft-injured Stolarz and a soon-to-be 38-year-old Bobrovsky.
The Maple Leafs will need to see Paul do his best work early on in the season to feel justified about the trade, especially if the goaltending is shaky to start. There can't be any buyer's remorse, and Paul will need to find his scoring touch again after a down year in 2025-26 where he missed 27 games.
Tampa is going to be a little shorthanded this season with the loss of Paul as well as Darren Raddysh who also went to Toronto though they're hoping that John Carlson and Ilya Mikheyev can make a difference.
Though none may make a bigger one than Dennis Hildeby and that could comeback to haunt them.
Do you think Toronto made a mistake by trading Dennis Hildeby?
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