Semyon Der-Arguchintsev

September 2023 – Der-Arguchintsev had his most productive professional season to date with 12 goals and 40 points in 50 AHL contests. This uptick in production earned him a call-up to the Maple Leafs where he made his NHL debut (his only NHL appearance to date). However, although qualified by the Maple Leafs as a pending restricted free-agent, Der-Arguchintsev decided to head home and sign a two-year deal with Traktor in the KHL. As the Maple Leafs still hold his NHL rights, there is always a chance of him returning to North America but for now, SDA will be in Russia for the foreseeable future. Curtis Rines

May 2022 – The polarizing nature of Der-Arguchintsev’s game was on full display during his first season with the Marlies. His offensive flash was apparent and his production of 13 goals and 19 assists through 51 games was respectable enough, but the warts in his game were equally apparent. SDA struggled defensively and never really seemed to find his footing in his own zone, evidenced in part by his team-worst -12 rating. His offensive vision and overall skill level are already NHL quality but until he shows that he can be trusted to not be a liability for his team, he will be stuck riding the bus in the AHL. He will be 22 years old to begin next season so there is still time for him to round out his game but the clock is ticking as the Leafs continue to inject fresh prospects into their system. Nick Richard

January 2022 – SDA’s first full season in the AHL has had its share of ups and downs. With the Leafs losing multiple depth centers on waivers to begin the season, he was thrust into top-six minutes with the Marlies right away. There has never been much doubt regarding SDA’s pure offensive skill and his production has been respectable, but he has struggled mightily to adjust to the defensive responsibilities that come with playing down the middle at the pro level. His on-ice goal differential is among the worst on the team and he is going to have to continue to improve his play away from the puck before he can be considered a viable NHL option. Nick Richard

March 2021 – With his KHL season concluded, SDA has returned to Toronto and is in quarantine prior to joining the Marlies. He finished the KHL season with 6 points in 17 games which doesn’t jump off the stat sheet but the adaptation to pro hockey was evident. His aTOI was over 14 minutes which is higher than normal for a rookie in the top Russian league. He even maintained that ice time in 4 playoff games, and averaged roughly 1.5 SOG/game in both playoffs and regular season. He got the chance to play at center ice against high-caliber pros and even though he got relatively destroyed on faceoffs, the 20-year-old will now enter the AHL with more experience than most start with. Let’s see what role he is given on the currently mediocre Marlies. Hayden Soboleski

January 2021 – SDA is not returning to Toronto for NHL training camp and appears to be staying on loan in Russia for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. There is still a chance he returns once the AHL season begins, but playing in the KHL is a perfectly good development route and is a reasonable spot for him to finish the season playing against pros. Expect him in a Marlies sweater for the 2021-22 campaign.

December 2020 – SDA will be out for roughly a month following a knee on knee collision injury. With NHL camps opening up soon and AHL camps presumably after that, its unclear whether he will remain in Russia or return upon recovery. Either way, his 5 points in 10 games despite limited aTOI was a promising sign in his first extended run playing pro. Hayden Soboleski

October 2020 – SDA has been loaned to the Torpedo of the KHL to play until North American play resumes. He hit career highs in the OHL in 2019-20 with 75 points in 55 games; his 63 assists was good for third in the league. This distribution was very powerplay-heavy – nearly 40% of points were on the man-advantage (up from 30% the season prior), but its hard to argue with top end production. He also put on roughly 10 pounds as the 20-year-old works on filling out his small frame and stayed healthy. All in all, 2019 was a good step forward and some production in the KHL would be a great indicator of whether he lands in the AHL or ECHL this season. He remains a slow cooker prospect, but the upside is among the highest in the organization. Hayden Soboleski

October 2019 – With 19 points in 10 games, and briefly leading the OHL in assists, this is exactly the start SDA needed after a stagnant 2018-19. He and fellow Leafs prospect Nick Robertson are tearing it up for the Petes. If he can keep this up, expect the hype to build back up to where it was in training camp 2018. Hayden Soboleski

September 2019 – The young pivot has been assigned back to Junior after a very brief training camp with the Leafs. This was a much shorter look than he received in training camp last season, but it’s clear that he has a long ways to go before being pro-ready. Hayden Soboleski

June 2019 – SDA has won the Kelly Cup as a member of the Newfoundland Growlers. His 2 points in 9 games (on a championship team) is indicative of  his minimal usage and a less-than-perfect offensive transition to pro, but any pro experience is good at his early end of the development curve. Consider it motivation to grow his game to new heights as he will likely return to junior for 2019-20. Hayden Soboleski

April 2019 – After a moderately productive but overall disappointing OHL campaign, SDA is headed to the ECHL Growlers for some bonus experience before the summer. His 46 points in 62 games was roughly the same offensive pace as the year prior, but with less goal-scoring and a generally raw look to his game. This move is not indicative of where the Leafs see him long term – this is just a free opportunity him him to play in a pro league in a playoff environment. Be patient, this dynamic forward still has lots of time to bring it all together. Hayden Soboleski

February 2019 – Despite a killer camp with the Leafs and a fresh ELC, SDA has had a tough year in Junior. 34 points in 44 games is a step backwards from his 2017-18 campaign, and only six goals in that total is way too one-dimensional, even for a true playmaker. For old-school fantasy owners – he’s also rocking a team-worst minus-16 rating. His puck-handling and vision remain outstanding giving him high upside, but he is clearly still a relatively raw prospect. Plan accordingly. Hayden Soboleski

September 2018 – SDA has been assigned to the OHL for the 2018-19 season. Expect an offensive breakout from the budding star. Hayden Soboleski

September 2018 – SDA has had an outstanding rookie camp and training camp, showing off his offensive intuition. He is the last remaining Junior player to survive cuts, and has been rewarded with an ELC. Despite the hype, he is still a long-term fantasy project. Hayden Soboleski

June 2018 – Toronto has used their 76th overall pick on Semyon Der-Arguchintsev.

Picking SDA gave fans what they wanted – an electric, high-potential scorer. He is small and underweight so don’t expect fantasy relevance just yet, but he is a gifted passer and sees the ice well. He has lots of time to fill out, and if he improves on his offensive totals while becoming a little more useful in his own end, he will prove to be an exciting fantasy prospect. Hayden Soboleski