Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings #8 - Dennis Hildeby
The 21-year-old is projected to play in his first AHL season this fall with the Toronto Marlies.
The highest-ranking goaltender on this list had an incredible final year in the SHL. Now, he hopes to do it here in North America.
During a 10-day period that will span from August 7-18, I will be releasing my rankings (from 10-1) of who I believe is the closest prospect to playing full-time NHL hockey with the Maple Leafs.
Dennis Hildeby (Toronto Marlies) 21, G, Six-foot-six, 234 lbs
Both Dennis Hildeby and Keith Petruzzelli will battle it out for games in the AHL next season.
The 24-year-old appeared in two regular season games with the Marlies this past spring, allowing eight goals in just under 91 minutes of action.
Heading into next year, the most important piece for Hildeby is that he begins it similar to how he finished it in Sweden; strong. The 21-year-old played 21 games in his final SHL season, ending his time in the league with a .918 save percentage.
It's worth noting, too, that he's won an SHL championship. That alone can help tremendously in do-or-die situations, like the Calder Cup playoffs.
At six-foot-five, Hildeby takes up most of the net at all times. I'm curious to see if the speed of the AHL makes things more difficult for him. He didn't leave the best first impression, but that could be due to him just being thrown into difficult situations.
That, and the Marlies just not playing defensively sound in front of him.
One area of his game that's strong is his positioning. With a bigger frame, moving might be a bit more difficult. But Hildeby always puts himself in the right position to be able to track the puck and make saves.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeXNMOIzUws[/embed]
What I've also noticed about the 24-year-old is that he can read plays before they occur. There are a couple of saves that he made in the SHL last season where he read the pass before it got to the player who had a scoring chance.
Being able to read those passes allows Hildeby to always be in the right position when the puck is put on net. With a frame like his, that's a good trait to have when coming over to North America.
It's vital that the 24-year-old begins the season off strong. He took considerable steps in Sweden with Färjestad BK throughout the last few years. Now, it's time for him to do the same with the Marlies.
How he'll handle the transition to the AHL will be the most fascinating part. Will he be able to handle a lot of games? Can he be consistent in a tough league? That all remains to be seen.
If Hildeby's numbers in Sweden say anything, though, it's that he'll have no problem transitioning to the North American style.
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