Meet Dennis Hildeby: The new Bolts goaltender is ready for a full-time NHL opportunity
The front office of the Tampa Bay Lightning did not enter this offseason with the goal of adding another goaltender to the organization’s NHL depth chart.
When young Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Dennis Hildeby became available, however, Lightning general manager and vice president of hockey Julien BriseBois was quick to pull the trigger.
Tampa Bay acquired the 24-year-old in a July 1 trade along with several options in exchange for forward Nick Paul. Hildeby now has a chance to earn a full-time NHL job for the first time in his career this season.
“When we found out he was available we said, ‘Okay, that’s something we have to check’ because he’s 24 years old and he’s done very well this year at the NHL level, he has a history of doing very well at the NHL level, he’s got the size, he’s got the profile of a goalie (goalie coach) Frantz Jean appreciates a lot,” said BriseBois.
“We just think he’s ready to be an NHL backup, and factor in the fact that he’s going to get better and he’s on a good contract for the next two years, there’s a lot of value there.”
Hildeby appeared in a career-high 20 games for Toronto last season, posting a 5-7-4 record with a .914 save percentage and 2.86 goals against average. The native of Jarfalla, Sweden finished with the best save percentage and goals against average of any Maple Leafs goaltender.
Toronto’s fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft has an 8-10-4 career NHL record and a .906 career save percentage after starting six NHL games in 2024-25.
“When that season ended, I found a recipe where I had to improve and I settled down a little bit this year,” Hildeby said of his NHL experience. “I felt calm, which has really helped me this season.”
Hildeby stands at a solid 6-foot-7 and is confident in his size. Whenever it’s his turn to net, he tries to combine deep focus with an aggressive style of play.
“First is the mental game of taking a deep breath and enjoying the moment. It’s the best league in the world, so it’s always an honor to play there,” he said. “My size is a huge advantage for me, and it’s something I want to always use to my advantage while I’m not a fullback. I still want to have the aggressiveness and mindset to be the biggest.”
Hildeby owns a 47-29-16 record in 96 American Hockey League appearances and a .906 save percentage. He went 10-8-5 in the AHL last season before appearing in three games for the Toronto Marlies during the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, going 1-1 with a .921 save percentage and 2.17 goals against average.
Tampa Bay scouts have followed Hildeby’s AHL career closely, and found some NHL translation this past winter when he posted his first career shutout with a 29-save, 2-0 win over the Lightning on Dec. 8.
“The first of anything is always memorable and it’s a good night, especially against a team like Tampa,” Hildeby said. “You knew going into that game it was going to be tough. That was really exciting. We played a great game, and it went my way.”
Now Hildeby will aim to score points like Bolt and is signed for the next two seasons to a minimum NHL contract. He will become a restricted free agent when that contract expires in 2028.
He is happy that he no longer has trouble facing Tampa Bay’s scoring chances.
That release was the first thought after hearing he had been traded to Tampa Bay, and realizing he could no longer share a locker room with Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
“Meeting him, who was a good role model for me growing up, was one of the first things I thought about,” said Hildeby. “Obviously it’s a very successful team with a lot of good players, so it’s easy to be happy.”
His favorite goalkeeper as a child was Sweden’s Henrik Lundqvist, and Vasilevskiy took over the top spot when Lundqvist retired.
“He’s been my new favorite goalie to watch. There’s a lot of goalies I look up to. You can learn things from everybody, and they’re all in the NHL for a reason. But yeah, Vasy’s up there as one of my favorites.”
Hildeby has already started offseason work and is in Sweden preparing for his first full NHL campaign and his first season in Tampa.
You’re just getting started.
“In a new place I will have many new things to learn and many new people to meet,” he said. “But when it comes to my game, I want to continue to improve and not make things too difficult here. I want to continue building from where I left off.”
