Undersized centre Semyon Der-Arguchintsev faces an uphill struggle if he’s to one day end up a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs roster.
Given his small stature, he has always faced certain challenges to building an NHL future with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but now the question is where exactly might he even fit.
It’s highly unlikely that the Leafs have a spot in the top-six for a lightweight centre that, while decent in transition and showing himself to be a decent playmaker, still hasn’t shown himself as truly elusive – a vital skill if he’s to play in the big-league.
Realistically, his size really lends better to the top end of the line-up. The Leafs have built a third line that plays a checking style, while the likely match-ups the fourth line face don’t exactly suit Der-Arguchintsev’s small stature. It’s a challenging road ahead.
Boom Or Bust For The Toronto Maple Leafs With Der-Arguchintsev
On pure statistics, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev has shown himself to be adaptable to whatever level of competition he faces; there of course is potential that he could adapt to any role in the Toronto Maple Leafs forward group.
In junior hockey, he managed 201 points (38 goals and 163 assists) in 248 games for the Peterborough Petes in the OHL. His coach back then spoke to a certain improving element of his game too:
"“I think Sem defensively has been really, really good,” said Petes head coach Rob Wilson.“His positional play on exits has been excellent. His back pressure has been excellent.” (The Peterborough Examiner)"
His first taste of professional hockey showed him to be a player willing to face up to tough opponents even as a small teenager, earning himself some credit as a member of the Newfoundland Growlers’ Kelly Cup winning play-off team.
Likewise, a loan to the KHL saw him to not be too bothered by the step-up in competition; 6 points (2 goals and 4 assists) in 17 regular-season and 4 playoff games with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod isn’t a bad return for his first action in that league.
Perhaps the big fear though is that his production in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies is as good as he ever gets. A career-high 13 goals, coupled with 19 assists in 32 games, which works out to 0.63 points-per-game. As a rookie who wasn’t getting first-line minutes, those are decent numbers he’s sure to improve on. (statistics per Elite Prospects).
The bust factor is there, but it always has been – the Leafs chose this player because of his skill level, not because he was a sure-thing. The Leafs draft for skill with the idea of hitting it big when they are right about a player.
To sign his entry-level contract so early on, Der-Arguchintsev certainly shows himself to have to eyes of the Leafs staff. However, that early entry-level deal makes him stand-out as someone that could very well underwhelm.
After all, the fan base likely expects just that little bit more out of the player because of it. However, if he can indeed build upon the defensive play his former coach spoke of, maybe there is a spot for him in a re-worked fourth line group.
Trevor Moore showed himself capable of cracking the Toronto Maple Leafs as an undersized guy in recent years, likewise Adam Brooks. It’s not as if there’s a lack of true opportunity.
Look for SDA to spend another year in the AHL before seriously pushing for an NHL job (if he ever does). A good pick due to his upside, Der-Arguchintsev is the classic definition of a “project” and it will be interesting to see how he develops.