The Maple Leafs' Prospect Every Fan Should Be Watching Closely in 2025
Photo credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
The one prospect Toronto Maple Leafs fans are going to want to keep their eye on heading into next season is none other than goaltender Dennis Hildeby.
Going into the season, the hope will be that the Toronto Maple Leafs develop more skilled prospects to add to their prospect pool's depth, not having a very strong group in terms of upside but with a few players who show promise.
Toronto will be hoping for players who can potentially take the next step and could emerge as the next generation of Leafs stars, able to be contributors to a team that will need young talent to help prop up their depth group.
Most of Toronto's top prospects are a few years away, but they already have players such as Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan who are close to the show, while they'll give raw players such as Tinus Luc Koblar and Victor Johansson the time to develop out in Europe.
One area that the Toronto Maple Leafs could bring their focus towards is an area that as of right now appears to be the Leafs safest, but could manage to create a bit of a buzz with how it emerges next season, and could raise some questions over the future.
Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending Situation Could Lead To Prospect's Emergence
Right now, it seems the duo of Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll are well solidified as the Leafs tandem for next season, and barring any sort of setback would be how Toronto rolls consistently.
However, the duo does come with questions as Stolarz is a career backup who at 31 years old has never played more than 34 games in a season in the NHL, and Joseph Woll has struggled to take the starting job despite multiple opportunities to do so.
The uncertainty over the long-term stability in the Maple Leafs net could lead to talk over how long the Stolarz/Woll pairing should stay intact, and could open the discussion to the potential emergence of Dennis Hildeby.
The 23-year-old Hildeby is not going to be rushed by Toronto, but with Matt Murray no longer with the Leafs, it would seem barring any deal that Hildeby is the next man up if needed.
He already has six games of NHL experience under his belt, but has struggled to handle the pace of the league, with the 6'7 goalie needing to be quicker himself.
Hildeby made his debut last season, and posted a 3-3-0 record with a 3.33 GAA and .872 SV%.
There's a work in progress in Hildeby, but if Stolarz or Woll becomes an expendable piece, it could accelerate Hildeby's timeline and push him into a backup role sooner for Toronto.
Could Dennis Hildeby Be Knocked Off The Depth Chart From Underneath Him?
While Stolarz and Woll may have to give the Leafs reason to keep Hildeby from the main team, Hildeby himself will have to be looking over his shoulder to make sure his own place in the crease is secure.
To start the season in the AHL last year, Hildeby faced a real challenge from Russian netminder Artur Akhtyamov, with the fellow Leafs prospect having a strong start to his career in North America, before Hildeby was able to retain his form, and his starting job.
Hildeby is closer to the Leafs than Akhtyamov is, but part of it comes down to having been in the minors longer. Hildeby will need to prove that he's above Akhtyamov not just in the depth chart but in talent level.
With the Marlies, Hildeby has looked largely stable in net beyond his slow start to the past season, but he still needs to prove his consistency is there to be successful.
The Leafs goaltending situation has two promising netminders who both have their strengths, and provide a clear pathway to the team's future in net, but they'll have to beat out an established underdog duo that has proven themselves for right now to be Toronto's goaltending answer.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 18 | 1420 ANSWERS The Maple Leafs' Prospect Every Fan Should Be Watching Closely in 2025 Who has the better odds of being a starter for Toronto? | ||
| Dennis Hildeby | 851 | 59.9 % |
| Artur Akhtyamov | 569 | 40.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
