There are four teams remaining in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Eastern Conference Finals began with Toronto (Toronto Maple Leafs) defeating Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh Penguins) 4-2 in Game 1. In the Western Conference, which starts Thursday, it will be Colorado (Colorado Avalanche) and Chicago (Carolina Hurricanes).
The conference finals and Calder Cup Finals will shift to a best-of-7 format after playing best-of-5 in the previous two rounds. Here is a look at the goalies who could make a difference this round:
Coach John Gruden twice went with Akhtyamov in elimination games against Cleveland (Columbus Blue Jackets) in the North Division Finals, and the decision paid off for Toronto.
The 24-year-old is in his second season with Toronto, was chosen for the AHL All-Star Classic and went 21-12-4 with a 2.88 goals-against average and .904 save percentage. The Maple Leafs selected him in the fourth round (No. 106) of the 2020 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut Dec. 13, 2025, and was 0-2-0 in three games.
Toronto has eliminated Rochester (Buffalo Sabres), Laval (Montreal Canadiens), and Cleveland. Akhtyamov is 8-4 with a 2.17 GAA and .924 save percentage in 12 playoff games.
Toronto's goaltending depth goes beyond Akhtyamov.
Hildeby, 24, played 20 games for the Maple Leafs and was 5-7-4 with a 2.86 GAA and .914 save percentage. Toronto selected Hildeby in the fourth round (No. 122) in the 2022 NHL Draft. In 23 AHL games, he's 10-8-5 with a 2.71 GAA and .898 save percentage. He's 1-1 with a 2.17 GAA and .921 save percentage in playoff games and represented Toronto at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic.
The 25-year-old has steadily put himself in contention for further AHL work after the Avalanche selected him in the seventh round (No. 202) of the 2019 NHL Draft.
He played three seasons with Utah of the ECHL before becoming an AHL regular with Colorado in 2024-25. That season he also made his NHL debut with the Avalanche, making 12 saves in relief against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 15, 2024.
He had a strong 2025-26 AHL season, going 17-8-6 in 32 games with a 2.62 GAA and .904 save percentage. He played four games with the Avalanche and went 1-0-3 with a 2.03 GAA and .933 save percentage.
Miner has found a much higher level in the Calder Cup Playoffs, going 8-2 with four shutouts in 10 games. His 1.26 GAA leads the postseason and his .947 save percentage is tied for third. He limited Henderson (Vegas Golden Knights), a team that led the AHL in the regular season with 3.65 goals per game, to six goals in a four-game series win.
