The Toronto Maple Leafs' goaltending scene took a big turn this offseason, and other decisions are already set for next summer, before the 2026-2027 season starts.

NHL analyst Chris McCluskey argued on X on July 13 that the bigger test for the team is still one year away. And added that it is centred on Artur Akhtyamov.

"It's going to be important for Toronto to be proactive about getting Akhtyamov some starts this season - not just a few looks out of necessity," he wrote.

Dennis Hildeby was no longer exempt from waivers. Toronto was made to trade him away, sending him to the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

But keeping him would have meant losing Anthony Stolarz instead. Or they'd be passing on Sergei Bobrovsky fully, and Stolarz's record made him seem like a safer bet.

They had three goalies right before the trade, and they are Bobrovsky, Stolarz, and Hildeby. It is believed that the front office chose to move on from Hildeby on its own. Toronto sent two draft picks along with Hildeby and got forward Nick Paul back in return.

McCluskey openly admitted that it was tough seeing Hildeby go, as the young player was finally finding his pace in the sport. 

"Next summer, the Leafs will face a similar decision with Akhtyamov as Anthony Stolarz' no-trade list shrinks from 16 teams to 10," he wrote. "There's no question in my mind the organization is preparing to pair Bobrovsky and Akhtyamov as the starting tandem effective next season, provided Akhtyamov continues to improve."

Stolarz, too, has shown good performance when he was in good form. So Akhtyamov has a lot to catch up. Stolarz posted a .893 save percentage and 3.28 goals-against average just last season. This was while Akhtyamov backstopped the Marlies to the Calder Cup. He held a .923 save percentage and won playoff MVP honours on the way. 

Akhtyamov's short time in the last season of the NHL didn't go well. The Leafs will need to see him play more than just 10 to 15 games. This is to decide between him and Stolarz by next summer.

Amidst this, Hildeby broke the silence on his trade.

Hildeby Reflects on Toronto Exit

Hildeby has already talked about the trade, saying it caught him off guard. He got the call just a few minutes before the World Cup match between Belgium and Senegal. And he ended up missing most of the first half while he dealt with this news.

According to NHL.com, in Tampa, he'll be competing for the backup job behind Andrei Vasilevskiy, and other teammates like Victor Hedman have already welcomed him to the team.

This trade clearly changed things up with Toronto's goalie situation quickly after the Leafs signed Bobrovsky to a three-year contract worth $21 million. That signing already has leverage over much of the NHL time Akhtyamov can get this season.

This is because he's already behind two veteran goalies instead of competing for a job directly. Bobrovsky is expected to mentor Akhtyamov in the same way he helped Stolarz during their Stanley Cup years together in Florida.

The Leafs now should balance the mentorship and Akhtyamov's growth, as it weighs upon their goaltending situation in the future.

What do you think of the goaltending situation in Toronto? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar