It's expected Hildeby will serve as Joseph Woll's backup against the New York Islanders.
One day after picking up his first NHL victory since March, 23, 2023, Matt Murray has been loaned to the Toronto Marlies for roster management purposes.
Dennis Hildeby has been recalled by the Maple Leafs, one day after being sent down to make room for Murray on the roster, the goaltender is expected to back up Joseph Woll when the Leafs host the New York Islanders on Saturday.
The 30-year-old Murray made 24 saves on 27 shots in a 6-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. The two-time Stanley Cup winner made his first NHL start since recovering from bilateral hip surgery that forced him to miss most of the 2023-24 season with the exception of some conditioning games with the Marlies.
Murray is still expected to be Toronto's third option in goal. The move was likely made to protect Murray's roster status with the Leafs.
Murray signed a one-year, $875,000 to return to the Leafs organization last summer after initially being acquired from the Ottawa Senators in a trade. Because Murray is subject to waivers and already went through the process before the start of the 2024-25 season, any call up allows the goaltender to be exempt from going through it again provided the player has not played a total 10 games or has been on a roster for a total of 30 days. The calculation is cumulative, so it makes sense on days the Leafs don't plan on starting the goaltender to send him down by not burning any of those 30 days. Especially since Anthony Stolarz is out for approximately four-to-six weeks following a knee procedure.
Meanwhile, Hildeby is waivers-exempt and can occupy the backup role with ease.