The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired goalie Dennis Hildeby from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a July 1 trade, giving the 24-year-old a chance to compete for a full-time NHL job for the first time in his career.
Tampa Bay acquired Hildeby and a pair of draft picks in exchange for forward Nick Paul. Lightning general manager and vice president of hockey operations Julien BriseBois said the organization explored the move after learning Hildeby was available.
“When we found out he was available we said, ‘Okay, that’s something that’s worth exploring’ because he’s 24 and did really well this year at the NHL level, has a track record of doing really well at the NHL level, has size, has a profile of goaltender that (goalie coach) Frantz Jean really appreciates,” BriseBois said.
“We just think he’s ready to be an NHL backup, and then you factor in that he’s only going to get better and he’s on a great contract for the next two years, there’s a lot of value there.”
Hildeby brings NHL and AHL experience
Hildeby appeared in a career-high 20 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2025-26 season. He posted a 5-7-4 record, a .914 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against average, the best save percentage and goals-against average among Toronto Maple Leafs goalies last season.
Selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Hildeby has an 8-10-4 career NHL record and a .906 career save percentage. The Jarfalla, Sweden, native also has a 47-29-16 record and a .906 save percentage in 96 American Hockey League appearances.
Hildeby went 10-8-5 in the AHL last season and appeared in three games for the Toronto Marlies during the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs. He went 1-1 with a .921 save percentage and a 2.17 goals-against average in those games.
“When that season ended, I got a recipe for where I had to improve and I settled in a little more this year,” Hildeby said of his NHL experience. “I felt a little calmer, which definitely helped this season.”
Size and style define Hildeby’s approach
Hildeby stands 6 feet 7 inches tall and said he wants to use his size while maintaining an aggressive approach. He recorded his first career NHL shutout in a 29-save, 2-0 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 8.
“The first of anything is always memorable and it was a great night, especially against a team like Tampa,” Hildeby said. “You knew going into that game it was going to be very tough. That was super exciting. We played a very good game, and it went my way.”
Hildeby is signed for the next two seasons on an NHL minimum contract and will be a restricted free agent when the contract expires in 2028. He is preparing in Sweden for his first full NHL campaign and his first season in Tampa.
Andrei Vasilevskiy provides a familiar influence
Hildeby identified Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy as a role model. Henrik Lundqvist was Hildeby’s favorite goalie as a child, while Vasilevskiy later became one of Hildeby’s favorite goalies to watch.
“To meet him, who’s been a big role model for me growing up, that was one of the first things I thought about,” Hildeby said. “Obviously it’s a very successful team with a lot of extremely good players, so it’s easy to be excited.”
Hildeby said he expects to learn in a new environment while continuing to build on his recent progress. “In a new environment I’ll have a lot of new stuff to learn and a lot of new people to meet,” he said. “But when it comes to my game I just want to keep improving and not overcomplicate things here. I want to just keep building where I left off.”
Source: Original report