Today is the first day that teams can officially sign their 2022 draft picks to entry-level contracts. The first to do an official deal is Toronto as the Maple Leafs announced that they’ve signed goaltender Dennis Hildeby to a three-year deal with an AAV of $843,330.
The 20-year-old was a fourth-round pick (122nd overall) last week in his third year of eligibility. Hildeby is coming off a season where he split time in Sweden’s junior level and in the SHL but it was his performance at the top level that likely got him on Toronto’s radar. He played in seven games with Farjestad, posting a 1.93 GAA along with a .931 SV%.
Hildeby is signed with Farjestad for two more seasons which makes the timing of this deal a little curious as the expectation was that he’d stay in Sweden and play at that level before making the jump to North America. That could still happen with the changes to the Player Transfer Agreement with Sweden making it harder for Swedish-born players to come play in the AHL. If Hildeby remains in Sweden, his contract will not slide as that option is only available to junior-aged players.