Dennis Hildeby to Back Up Anthony Stolarz Against Bruins; Possible Start vs. Hurricanes
With Cayden Primeau placed on waivers and Joseph Woll sent to the Toronto Marlies on a conditioning assignment, Dennis Hildeby’s NHL season debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs appears imminent. Head coach Craig Berube confirmed that Hildeby will serve as backup to Anthony Stolarz, who makes his 12th start of the season when the Leafs host the Boston Bruins.
With Woll temporarily joining the Marlies, keeping Hildeby in the minors as a backup no longer made sense. After three starts from Primeau, the team decided to place the 26-year-old goaltender on waivers. Primeau went 2-1-0 with a .838 save percentage during his stint with the Leafs.
Hildeby, age 24, was previously called up this season to back up during Primeau’s 4-3 overtime victory against the Buffalo Sabres. In five AHL appearances with the Marlies, Hildeby holds a 2-2-1 record and an .890 save percentage, following a strong training camp in which he posted a .920 mark across three pre-season games.
“All signs point to Hildeby likely getting the nod when the Leafs host the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 10,” an internal team source suggested.
Given Toronto’s back-to-back schedule, it seems unlikely that Stolarz would start two consecutive nights, making Hildeby’s first NHL appearance of the season a near certainty.
Author’s Summary
Dennis Hildeby is expected to debut for the Maple Leafs soon, backing up Anthony Stolarz against Boston before likely starting versus Carolina on Sunday.