Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Dennis Hildeby was put through the ringer during the 2024-25 season and he knows it.
The 24-year-old netminder was back and forth between the NHL and the AHL for a period of time during the season and aside from physically being inconsistent, his play reflected that as well. He would have stretches of games like he did in early March for the Toronto Marlies, where his worst start was against the Cleveland Monsters and he saved 29 of 32 shots he faced. That was the worst display among some other times he led in just one single goal while facing a barrage of pucks.
But other times, Hildeby was trying to re-discover what truly made him a solid goaltender and it caused him to look uncomfortable on the ice and not be able to consistently stop shots.
In a conversation with the media on Thursday, after he inked a new three-year deal to stay with the Leafs, Hildeby explained how he felt about last season, what he tried to work on, and how he feels heading into his second year of professional hockey in North America.
"It was a rollercoaster of a season... There was a lot of new stuff I tried to implement into my game that maybe didn't work out at first and tried out a lot of new stuff and figured out my game more," said Hildeby. "This season is about taking the new stuff and putting it together in a way that works for me. Played a little bit more aggressive -- tried to find more of a balance. In my first year I felt like I played too deep in my net... He's a great guy to watch. Big guy like me, so I really like how effective he is in net and something I'm trying to move towards."
All of Hildeby's efforts earned him a solid .908 save percentage and 2.55 goals against average through 30 appearances in the AHL, but not being able to continue that success when in the NHL, as he earned just an .878 save percentage and 3.33 goals against average with the Maple Leafs for six games. It's a small sample size at the top level but considering what his position is heading into the 2025-26 season, we should be more confident.
Hildeby virtually is the Leafs' third-string goaltender. Outside of the NHL tandem of Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz, Hildeby is likely the most experienced goaltender with the capability of actually playing in the NHL, despite some poor numbers. If one of the regulars go down with an injury, HIldeby is almost certainly getting the promotion to the NHL and he probably shouldn't be feeling like he's on a rollercoaster.