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

Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Hildeby, Rifai, McMann, Tanev & Dumba

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Dec 13, 2025 9:25 AM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs are entering one of those stretches that test any team’s mettle. Injuries, lineup juggling, and the emergence of young players have made each game unpredictable, forcing the team to adapt on the fly. The back end, in particular, is a moving target.

Players returning from surgery, suspensions, or just the grind of a long season make it challenging to know who will suit up each night. Changes happen right up until puck drop. On top of that, management may be exploring ways to bolster the roster, particularly the blue line, which has been stretched to its limits.

In moments like this, you start to see who’s ready to step up and who’s holding the team together by sheer effort. As always, the goalie situation adds an extra layer of intrigue. Dennis Hildeby continues to be the quiet anchor keeping the Leafs competitive when the margin for error is slim, but the team still needs healthy bodies and depth across the lineup to survive the coming weeks.

Item One: Hildeby Making a Real Case in Goal

Hildeby has quietly become one of the season’s more encouraging stories for Toronto. His .883 high-danger save percentage reflects a netminder who can perform under pressure, facing the kind of chances that usually define whether a goalie earns trust. He has allowed two goals or fewer in seven of his ten appearances. He sits second among rookie goalies in both save percentage (.933) and goals-against average (2.25), trailing only Jesper Wallstedt.

This isn’t about padding numbers in sheltered starts. Hildeby is proving he can hold the line when the team falters in front of him. He isn’t demanding a permanent role yet, but he’s quietly staking a claim, showing the kind of consistency that could reshape Toronto’s plans down the line. With the defence in flux, his play has been critical to keeping the team afloat.

Item Two: Who’s in the Maple Leafs’ Lineup & Who’s Out?

Toronto’s blue line remains thin. Marshall Rifai could finally make his season debut after wrist surgery during training camp. However, he has minimal NHL experience. If Oliver Ekman-Larsson can’t play, Rifai might be forced into a challenging spot immediately. Ekman-Larsson himself is day-to-day after an injury on Thursday and will be evaluated in the morning skate before a decision is made.

Up front, Bobby McMann returns from a one-game suspension, likely bumping Nicholas Robertson out of the lineup. McMann brings energy, straight-line speed, and physicality, providing the kind of presence that has been missing in recent games. These returns help, but the rotation underscores just how thin the Leafs’ margin for error has become.

Item Three: Chris Tanev (and Others) Remain Out

Chris Tanev remains sidelined as he seeks a second opinion on an upper-body issue, while Brandon Carlo is out indefinitely after foot surgery, likely through January. Joseph Woll is improving but won’t play Saturday, leaving the Maple Leafs with limited options on the back end. These absences have tested the team’s depth, forcing management and the coaching staff to patch together a functional lineup night after night.

Item Four: Maple Leafs Could Eye Matt Dumba as Blue-Line Boost

The Pittsburgh Penguins waived Matt Dumba, and Toronto could be the next team to benefit. The 31-year-old right-handed defenseman carries a $3.75 million cap hit and brings a mix of experience, physicality, and NHL-level competence. While his best offensive numbers (14 goals and 50 points in 2017-18) are behind him, Dumba has long played with an edge, unafraid to make the big hit, which is exactly the kind of presence the Maple Leafs have been chasing.

Matt Dumba, Dallas Stars (Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images)

Toronto is thin on the right side of the blue line, particularly after Ekman-Larsson’s injury. Dumba could step in immediately, stabilize the rotation, and relieve some pressure on Hildeby, who has been carrying the team in goal. With his pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) status, this could be a last-chance audition, and Toronto is a team in need of exactly what he offers: experience, toughness, and defensive reliability.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

This stretch is as much about endurance as experimentation. Injuries and absences will continue to dictate who suits up. Still, Maple Leafs management is also exploring ways to reinforce the roster, whether internally with young players or externally with additions like Dumba.

Watching how Toronto navigates these challenges—how they patch holes, manage minutes, and adapt on the fly—will reveal a lot about the depth of the roster, the flexibility of the coaching staff, and the areas management may need to reinforce before the playoff push begins. For now, the Maple Leafs are reacting to circumstances rather than designing them, and how they survive this period could set the tone for the rest of the season.