The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone through a roster overhaul this offseason under the leadership of new general manager John Chayka and goalie Dennis Hildeby happened to be one of those players.
The 24-year-old Hildeby made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs during the 2024-25 season and promptly appeared in 26 games for Toronto over the past two seasons. The 6-foot-7 Swede went 8-10 with a 2.98 goals against average. Hildeby was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Nick Paul earlier this month.
Hildeby opened up on his time in Toronto, expressing nothing but gratitude for his time with the Maple Leafs, the organization that selected him with the 122nd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
“It’s been exciting right from the start,” Hildeby told Hockeysverige.se during a recent interview in his hometown of Bålsta, Sweden. “Getting drafted by an organization like Toronto was a huge honor. I spent three seasons there and grew a lot, both as a hockey player and as a person. I really enjoyed my time there, and there were so many great people who took care of me.”
Hildeby will now have the chance to compete for a roster spot as the backup to one of the best goalies in the league in Andrei Vasilevsky. He details how he found out about the trade just prior to the World Cup game between Belgium and Sengeal.
“It was definitely a first for me,” he said. “I’d never experienced being traded before. As a player, you always know it’s possible, so it’s always somewhere in the back of your mind. There had already been a lot of movement around the league, so I knew there was a chance I could be next. I got the phone call about five minutes before Belgium played Senegal. After that, there were so many calls that I only managed to watch the second half (Laughs.) I missed the first 45 minutes and then had to catch up afterward.”
Maple Leafs Rejected by Claude Giroux for Senators
The Maple Leafs were in heavy play for veteran Claude Giroux before he ultimately re-signed with the Ottawa Senators.
As Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Citizen reports, the Maple Leafs offered the 38-year-old the biggest contract of any team in free agency only for the seven-time All-Star to ultimately re-sign with the Senators for a fifth season.
“The Citizen also reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs were interested, along with the Edmonton Oilers,” Garrioch wrote. “The talk is that the Leafs offered Giroux the biggest contract, but Toronto isn’t the type of market that fits the mould for the kind of player that he is.”
Claude Giroux on Why He Re-Signed With Senators Over Other Teams
Giroux ended up re-signing with the Senators on a one-year deal with a $2 million base salary that can be worth up to $5 million in bonuses. It’ll be his 20th season in the NHL and it could be his final one as he looks to play it out in his hometown of Ottawa.
“Claude took his time to evaluate his options, and his decision to re-sign with us shows his belief and commitment to our group,” Ottawa general manager Steve Staios said. “He is the consummate professional and brings veteran experience to our core on an off the ice.”
The longtime veteran forward continues to play at a high level, posting 14 goals and 35 assists while appearing in all 82 games. In fact, Giroux has missed just one game in his four seasons with Ottawa. He helped lead the Senators to the playoffs for the second consecutive season after they went eight years without a playoff appearance.
“I chose to come back because I want to be here,” Giroux said. “Being around those guys for four years, we got really close. This team feels like a family. I just care for those players.”
Giroux won 63.1% of his faceoffs last season, the highest mark of any player in the NHL last season.
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