Toronto Maple Leafs News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Dennis Hildeby, Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)

Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Hildeby, Laughton, Woll & Danford

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Dec 7, 2025 7:05 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped a tight 2–1 decision to the Montreal Canadiens, but this wasn’t one of those nights where panic leaks into the building. If anything, it felt like two really good teams testing each other’s edges. Toronto defended well early, stayed tight through the middle of the ice, and looked more connected than they have for long stretches this season. No dramatic collapses, no backbreaking mistakes — just a good, solid hockey game that ended one goal short for the Blue & White.

Dennis Hildeby, tossed into the starter’s role after Joseph Woll joined Anthony Stolarz on injured reserve, held up his end. He stopped 33 pucks, read plays early, and gave the team a backbone on a night when Montreal pushed in waves. Cole Caufield still found two moments, first with a power-play strike and second with a shootout goal.

Still, Toronto played with patience, defended with purpose, and showed the kind of detail head coach Craig Berube has spent the past month hammering home. If they needed a loss that proved something, this may have been it.

Item 1: Dennis Hildeby Showed Himself More Than Ready

It’s one thing for a rookie to survive a sudden promotion. It’s another for him to look like he’s been preparing for it for months. Hildeby did both. His 33-save performance was simple, square, and decisive. There was no reaching, no scrambling, no extra drama. He made the saves you want a young goalie to make, and he made them look routine.

The bench responded to that steadiness. When Montreal tilted the ice for a few shifts, Hildeby held the line. When traffic crowded the crease, he tracked the puck. You could feel the group settle in behind him.

Now, with Woll and Stolarz both out, the Maple Leafs will ask him to carry more of the load. Saturday night was the right place to start. If he plays like he did last night, he’ll give the Maple Leafs the kind of reliable goaltending from a kid who more than seems to understand the assignment.

Item 2: Scott Laughton Now Has 3 Goals in 3 Games

Scott Laughton has tucked himself into the fabric of this team. His short-handed goal against Montreal was about as confident a breakaway as one will ever see. He just hauled off and wired it. There was no hesitation. The late score energized a bench that needed a spark. That’s three goals in his last three games, all coming from the same formula. Read the game before it happens, skate into the right spot, and trust your instincts.

Scott Laughton, Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

What stands out is how naturally Laughton fits into Berube’s style. He’s predictable in the best way. He never looks lost, every shift has a purpose, and every decision is made for a reason. Nothing feels forced. When a team’s penalty kill starts generating chances, that’s usually a sign the system is sinking in.

Laughton has become one of the Maple Leafs’ “glue” players. Coach Berube can lean on him when the game gets messy. Lately, he’s rewarded that trust with goals at key moments.

Item 3: Joseph Woll Lands on IR, and the Maple Leafs’ Net Gets Complicated

Saturday’s game began with news no one around the team wanted: Woll is back on injured reserve. He tweaked a lower-body issue during that 5–1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. Ironically, the game felt like another step forward for him until the injury. Instead, he’s sidelined for “a week… hopefully,” according to Berube. Just like that, the net gets shuffled again.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson celebrates with teammate forward Ivan Demidov after scoring a goal against Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll (Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)

Woll’s early-season numbers tell the story of a goaltender settling into real NHL footing: 4–3–1, a .923 save percentage, and a calming presence in eight appearances. When he’s back there, Toronto looks steadier. When he’s not, the team is forced to improvise. The team recalled Artur Akhtyamov from the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies, and for now, Hildeby will take the bulk of the work.

This isn’t a crisis, but it’s definitely an interruption. Interruptions are exactly what this group has been trying to avoid. The rhythm was starting to show. Woll’s injury forces the Maple Leafs to find a new beat for a little while longer.

Item 4: Ben Danford Quietly Steadies His Game in the OHL

Every season brings one Maple Leafs prospect who fans don’t hear much about, but they’re stacking good games. This season, that’s Ben Danford. After a tough mid-November stretch where he went six games without a point, he’s bounced back with five assists in his last four. His two assists in his Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Brantford Bulldogs’ 7–2 win over the North Bay Battalion were a picture of a player who’s making good decisions again.

Ben Danford, Toronto Maple Leafs (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Danford’s value is his even keel. He doesn’t force plays, doesn’t panic when the puck dries up, and lets the game come back to him. Those are the traits Toronto should value in its young defenders. You can teach technique, but you can’t teach temperament. With one goal and 14 assists in 22 games between Brantford and the Oshawa Generals, the numbers won’t turn heads today. That said, his progression is what the organization wants at this stage.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

Last night’s loss in Montreal didn’t expose cracks; it hinted at construction. The Maple Leafs defended with a calm that hasn’t always been present, trusted their feet, and kept the details tidy against a team that capitalizes on mistakes. They’ll try to build on that foundation as the schedule tightens and the crease becomes a rotating door for a little while longer.

If Hildeby can hold steady, if Laughton keeps providing those honest minutes, and if the structure remains intact, this stretch might look less like a setback and more like the moment things finally start to settle.