Another week has wrapped for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and there’s plenty to sort through. This past week there was a lot of news surrounding the team. But before we get into that, let’s take a closer look at how well they played.
Related: Maple Leafs Land Jordan Binnington in Questionable Mock Trade
Over the last week, they went 2-0-1 with wins against the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning. And although they lost against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night, they still managed to get a point out of it. Because of that, they now sit just four points back of a wild card spot and five back of the Detroit Red Wings who lead the Atlantic Division. The Maple Leafs will be gearing up to play the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday as their home stand continues. They then take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 16, which is also Holy Mackinaw Night in honour of Joe Bowen.
The Hildebeast Showing Great Potential
When Joseph Woll went down with an injury last week against the Hurricanes, there was a sense of panic amongst the fanbase. With both the club’s top two goalies on the shelf with injuries, they were forced to turn to their third string, Dennis Hildeby. Now, two games into him taking control of the crease, there is no more panic. He has played outstanding and truly showed just how good he can be if he had the opportunity to play at the next level.
Through two games as the starter, he has posted a shutout victory as well as a 2-1 loss in the shootout. He has helped his team earn three of a possible four points, which is all you can ask for from your third-string goalie in this situation. He has been great, which is awesome for a Maple Leafs team that has turned it around since the middle of November. They needed great goaltending, and since the return of Woll they have gotten that, and Hildeby has continued to play extremely well. If he can keep this up, he will make it difficult for him to be sent back down.
Tanev’s Injury Could Require Surgery
Next up, there was a report out from NHL analyst Nick Kypreos that shares some unfortunate information regarding Chris Tanev and the injury that he is dealing with. In his report, he talks about the similarities between his injury and former defenceman Jake Muzzin, whose career ultimately ended because of a cervical spine injury. Now, it looks like Tanev’s injury could require surgery to avoid his career coming to an end.
Related: NHL Analyst Provides Surprising Update on Maple Leafs’ Chris Tanev
Kypreos reports: “The biggest concern for Tanev is if he takes another hit similar to the one he received on Nov. 1 that knocked him out of the lineup. What are the risks of him further exacerbating the symptoms he’s had since? The hope is that any potential surgery would help alleviate that risk.”
If this is the case and Tanev is required to have surgery, there is a good chance he will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 regular season. However, he could return at some point in the playoffs if the Maple Leafs are able to clinch a playoff berth. It is unfortunate news for the player, his family, and the organization.
Maple Leafs Mock Trades
Over the last few weeks, there have been a lot of rumours surrounding the Maple Leafs because of how bad they were and how well they are playing. With that comes some very good mock trades and some very bad ones. The best one is one that I wrote about titled ‘Maple Leafs Linked to Bunting in Rumoured Deal With Predators‘. It looks at a mock trade that had the Maple Leafs trading Matias Maccelli to the Nashville Predators in exchange for former forward Michael Bunting. This makes a ton of sense because Toronto are lacking another top-six forward and with Maccelli not fitting in anywhere on the roster, they would likely be more than willing to part ways with him. It could be a deal that both clubs visit closer to the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline.
The worst one was covered in another piece that I wrote titled ‘Maple Leafs Land Jordan Binnington in Questionable Mock Trade‘. This one had the Maple Leafs acquiring Jordan Binnington from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for the injured Woll. It is quite obvious why this just doesn’t make any sense for Toronto to do. First, they now have three reliable goalies in the aforementioned Hildeby, Woll, and Anthony Stolarz, so there isn’t really a point in them acquiring him from the Blues. And most importantly, the cap hit that he carries, especially when they are sending Woll back in the trade, makes the money side of it far worse.
With the Trade Deadline just three months away, things are going to intensify, especially surrounding the Maple Leafs. Which means there are going to be a lot of mock trades, both good and bad. It’ll be very interesting to see what ones come to be and what ones remain as simply mock trades.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs are back in action tonight to take on the San Jose Sharks, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m.
Another week has wrapped for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and there’s plenty to sort through including the great play of Hildeby, Tanev might needing surgery and mock tra