Maple Leafs Fans Might Want to See How Dennis Hildeby Is Doing

Something about Dennis Hildeby makes you want to keep an eye on him. Maybe it's the size. Maybe it's the tall Swedish goaltender's calm presence. Or maybe it's that feeling you get when a young player leaves Toronto, and you still want to see him succeed. Whatever it is, I'm guessing I'm not the only Maple Leafs fan who's curious about how Hildeby's career unfolds.

The good news is that Hildeby is expected to return to the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup Thursday night against the Seattle Kraken. According to the report, he'll likely back up Andrei Vasilevskiy after Jonas Johansson was sent back to the AHL's Syracuse Crunch.

It's not exactly a starring role, but it's another opportunity for a goaltender who is still trying to establish himself in the NHL.

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Before missing a game, Hildeby made his one appearance of the season count. He stopped 34 shots in a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. That's a pretty good night's work.

You don't stop 34 shots in an NHL game without doing plenty right, and the performance gave Tampa Bay a useful reminder of what the 25-year-old can bring. Of course, one start doesn't tell us everything about a goaltender. Still, it's an encouraging beginning. Now he's back, apparently healthy, and available if the Lightning need him.

With Vasilevskiy established as one of the league's top goaltenders, Hildeby won’t walk into Tampa Bay and take over the crease. That's not the situation he's entering. His job is to be ready, make the most of his opportunities and show the organization it can trust him when his number is called. Sometimes that's how a goaltender's career develops: one start, one good performance, and another chance to build on it.

Toronto supporters know Hildeby from his time in the Maple Leafs organization. It's natural to wonder what might happen as he gets more experience elsewhere. But at 25, Hildeby still has time to show what kind of NHL goaltender he can become. And Tampa Bay looks like an interesting place to do it. He can learn behind an established star while preparing for whatever opportunities come his way.

For now, the assignment is simple: get healthy, stay ready and make the next start count. I'll be interested to see how this one unfolds. I suspect a few other Maple Leafs fans will be watching, too.

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