Welcome to Tampa Bay, Dennis Hildeby
The plight of the backup goaltender. To some, it is considered the most difficult position in hockey. For the majority of the season, the role is simply to warm the bench. In no city is this truer than Tampa Bay where Andrei Vasilevskiy reigns supreme in the Lightning net. This year, the holder of this un-coveted backup position is newcomer Dennis Hildeby.
A Salute to Vasilevskiy
There is no battle for the number one spot in Tampa. Vasilevskiy is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner (including last season) and a Conn Smythe winner. He is consistently one of the top goalies in the NHL and starts around 60 of the 82 (now 84) games in a season. He is a workhorse; but like every other player in the league, he is mortal and needs to rest from time to time.
The Previous Backups
For the past several seasons, the Lightning’s backup goalie has been someone at the tail end of their career or a more transient type who hadn’t quite found a home anywhere else. Curtis McElhinney, Brian Elliott, and Jonas Johansson have filled the role admirably since 2019. But for each of them, as their time in Tampa Bay came to its end, their starts became more unpredictable and less reliable. As a result, there was more pressure on Vasilevskiy. It was harder for him to take a day off, especially in important matchups.
Welcome, Dennis Hildeby
This past off-season, the Lightning made a deal for a different type of goaltender to fill this position. Dennis Hildeby came over in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. At 25 years old, the six foot seven Swede has all the makings of a future number one goalie. Last year in Toronto, he played in 20 games (started 14) for the Leafs and sported a 5-7-4 record with a 2.86 goals against average, a .914 save percentage, and one shutout. The Lightning witnessed first-hand how formidable Hildeby could be in net during that shutout as he stopped all 29 of their shots against him.
With no disrespect to those who came before him, Dennis Hildeby is an entirely different animal. He is someone who certainly has the potential to become a number one goalie in the years to come. This creates a whole different feel to the goaltending tandem in Tampa Bay. It adds security. It relieves some of the pressure on Vasilevskiy.
The Emergence of the Hildebeast
Hildeby has started two out of the Lightning’s nine games this season. He has won both and has a 2.01 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. In his first start as a Bolt, he earned the honor of the game’s second star, allowing two goals and posting a .944 save percentage against the dangerous Minnesota Wild. That performance garnered him a nickname in the Bay area… Hildebeast!
The Potential Hildeby Impact
With Hildeby having played just two games as a Bolt, it is far too soon to draw any conclusions about how his stats will look as the season progresses. But what we are starting to notice is that his presence is bringing a new look to the goaltending situation in Tampa. There seems to be a confidence building within the fanbase that the team can have success on any given night, no matter which netminder is between our posts. There is a knowledge that Vasilevskiy can take some games off to rest as needed, in the hopes of preparing for a deep playoff run.
So, welcome to Tampa Bay, Dennis Hildeby! We’re so glad you’re here, and we can’t wait to see all that you’ll bring to the team this year.
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