Lightning land AHL goalie Dennis Hildeby from Maple Leafs
Tampa Bay added Dennis Hildeby, a two-time AHL All-Star and 2026 Calder Cup champion, while Nick Paul went to Toronto in a pick-and-player swap.
Tampa Bay added Dennis Hildeby, a two-time AHL All-Star and 2026 Calder Cup champion, in a trade that sent Nick Paul to the Toronto Maple Leafs and also delivered a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick to the Lightning. The move arrived as NHL and AHL free agency opened at noon ET on July 1, and it immediately read like a goaltending decision as much as a transaction.
For Tampa Bay, Hildeby is the kind of crease piece that changes the board from the top down. He gives the organization another big, experienced netminder who can handle AHL starts, step into NHL duty when needed, and keep the Lightning from treating the backup spot as a stopgap. The pick haul is useful, but the sharper edge of the deal is the confidence it shows in Tampa Bay’s willingness to invest in a goalie with real starter upside rather than chase a short-term patch.
Hildeby brought strong numbers with him. He played 23 regular-season games for the Toronto Marlies in 2025-26 and went 10-8-5 with a 2.71 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage. In three Calder Cup playoff appearances, he went 1-1 with a 2.17 GAA and a .921 save percentage, reinforcing the case that his game held up when the stakes climbed.
His larger AHL résumé explains why he drew this kind of return. Over 96 AHL games with Toronto, Hildeby posted a 47-29-16 record, a 2.57 GAA, a .906 save percentage and six shutouts. That body of work, plus his 2026 Calder Cup title, made him one of the league’s more recognizable young goalies and gave Tampa Bay a player who already has playoff and award credibility.
Toronto had kept Hildeby in the fold with a three-year contract extension on Sept. 3, 2025, after selecting him in the fourth round, 122nd overall, in the 2022 NHL Draft. He also logged 20 NHL games for the Maple Leafs, going 5-7-4 with a 2.80 GAA, a .914 save percentage and one shutout. For the Lightning, that mix of NHL exposure, AHL production and postseason experience turns this into more than a trade of assets. It is a clear bet on a goalie who can stabilize the depth chart now and still project as something more.
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