It’s far too early to quit on Dennis Hildeby.
The overwhelming sentiment from Wednesday’s The Leafs Nation After Dark Show from the chat and callers following the Leafs’ 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets was that Dennis Hildeby doesn’t belong with the big club and is an AHL goalie.
While his play with the Leafs so far this year has not given any reason to suggest he should stay with the team for the rest of the year, it’s far too early to suggest that the kid will never be an NHL goalie.
At 23, Hildeby is only in his second full season of professional hockey in North America. While he played a few years of pro in Sweden and became an SHL champion, it’s important to note that the game in North America is different: a different style, pace, and skill level. The adjustment from Europe to North America can be harsh for anyone, let alone a goaltender in his early 20s with a load of expectations thrown at him from an excited fanbase.
In his eight games with the Toronto Marlies this season, Hildeby has recorded a 2.42 GAA and a .926 save percentage. If you add this to his 41 games played last year with a 2.41 GAA and a .913 save percentage, the kid has shown some promise.
Understandably, the fan base has not been impressed with Hildeby’s performance through his six games in the NHL this season. Still, people seem quick to forget it wasn’t until last season — at age 25 — that Joseph Woll finally broke through and started to grasp a full-time role with the Maple Leafs.
Patience is key with goaltenders and developing them is a delicate balance. Yes, you want to get them into action and give them looks and see how they do at the NHL level. Too much exposure or being put in tough spots while the team relies on you to be NHL-ready, as opposed to a growing period can shatter confidence and hurt their development.
While the Maple Leafs have a tandem of Woll and Anthony Stolarz to carry the workload, it may be best to now pivot to Matt Murray — a veteran goaltender — to handle the backup spot when one of the starters is down. It will alleviate Hildeby of the pressure of being on every night in the NHL and let him go back to the Marlies and dominate.
As Jeff Marek has discussed on The Sheet, it’s hard to hurt players with “overdevelopment” — let Hildeby be the man in the minors, put the onus on Murray to have to step up to the big club and be the pinata when the team has a stinker in front of him. When the fan base is upset a puck beat Murray over the shoulder when it shouldn’t have, it’s easier to stomach, don’t put the blame on the 23-year old kid who is still adapting to North American professional hockey.
The Leafs will be fine. Hildeby will be fine. We can all stop panicking.