The Toronto Maple Leafs may have found an unexpected gem in Dennis Hildeby, with a prominent NHL insider suggesting that rival GMs see him as a hot prospect.

Earlier this year, the Nashville Predators traded top goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov to the San Jose Sharks. At one point, Toronto was rumored to be a potential destination for Askarov. However, with Hildeby emerging as a legitimate NHL prospect, the Leafs may have decided they didn’t need to pursue an upgrade in goal. It seems they view Hildeby as a future star.

Interestingly, the Maple Leafs aren’t the only team that sees potential in Hildeby. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed on his 32 Thoughts: The Podcast that several teams approached Leafs GM Brad Treliving last season with interest in acquiring Hildeby, but Treliving made it clear that the Leafs were not considering moving him.

“Hildeby, who played a full game and won [on Saturday], was said to be the Leafs’ top prospect in the AHL last year, and nothing suggests otherwise. I’m sure they received offers, but they weren’t seriously entertained, and it looks like the Leafs have big plans for him,” Friedman said.

Hildeby had an impressive rookie season in the AHL, setting a Marlies franchise record with 21 wins. The 6’7″, 222-pound Swedish goalie recorded a 21-11-7 record, a 2.41 GAA, and a .913 save percentage in 41 games.

Although Friedman didn’t specify which teams were interested, the fact that Toronto turned down trade offers indicates they value Hildeby highly. He was called up last season to back up Martin Jones when Joseph Woll was injured and Ilya Samsonov was underperforming. Perhaps this will be the year he finally makes his NHL debut.