Dennis Hildeby is Creating a Huge Problem for the Toronto Maple Leafs
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Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Dennis Hildeby is coming off a season with six NHL starts, although when it comes to his future, there are still terms to be worked on.
Dennis Hildeby is an intriguing Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender who stands tall at 6'7" and continues to be a bit of a question mark for the team going forward.
Last season, he regressed with the Toronto Marlies. His numbers were marginally worse as he went from a goals-against average of 2.41 to a GAA of 2.55. His save percentage went from .913 to .909, and he even had two fewer shutouts.
Meanwhile, his starts with the Toronto Maple Leafs left a lot to be desired as he had an NHL GAA of 3.16 and a save percentage of .878.
This offseason, Hildeby became a restricted free agent, and the Leafs signed the goalie to a qualifying offer. Unfortunately, nothing has been signed, and the goalie remains in limbo.
What's next for Dennis Hildeby and the Toronto Maple Leafs?
This is creating a bit of an issue for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who do not have a ton of goalies in the AHL right now. With Matt Murray in Seattle, all that remains are Hildeby and Artrur Akhtyamov.
Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz are two netminders who are prone to injury, and that would mean the Leafs recalling Hildeby when needed.
However, if Hildeby is not under contract, then the Leafs would have to rely on an unproven Akhtyamov to be the third-string guy, which isn't a good place to be in.
Of course, the Maple Leafs could try to get another goalie on the open market, but there aren't too many guys available right about now.
At this stage, the Maple Leafs are just going to need to be diligent and make sure they can get Hildeby signed before it's too late. It's still August, so there is plenty of time to get something done.
Regardless, Leafs fans are going to be a bit on edge between now and the start of the season, and it's not for no reason.
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