5 Toronto Maple Leafs Players to Watch at NHL Prospect Tournament
No. 1: Semyon Der-Arguchintsev
Better known as “SDR,” it feels like Der-Arguchintsev is one of the more underrated players in the Leafs system.
Drafted 76th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Der-Arguchintsev had an impressive rookie campaign with the Toronto Marlies last year, finishing with 13 goals and 32 points.
The previous Peterborough Petes forward was best remembered in his last year of junior hockey, paired beside another Leafs prospect, Nick Robertson. The tandem were basically unstoppable, as Der-Arguchintsev finished with 63 assists in 55 games, while Robertson had 55 goals that season.
This is a big year for the youngster, as he’ll be looked upon as a first or second-line centre on the Marlies. I wouldn’t expect him to crack the Leafs line-up during the 2022-23 season, but he should be a player who lights up the Traverse City Tournament this weekend.
No. 2: Max Ellis
The 22-year-old, Ellis has a ton of skill and performed admirably at the University of Notre Dame last year, however Ellis’ size is a huge issue.
At 5-foot-8, 150 pounds, it’s very concerning to see whether or not he’ll ever be able to compete at the NHL-level.
Ellis had 16 points and 28 points in 39 games last year, leading his team in scoring, but obviously the NCAA game is much different than the professional level.
That’s why I’m so intrigued to see how Ellis does this weekend.
Based on his production with Notre Dame, Ellis was highly-touted and had many suitors looking to sign him as a college free agent.
Toronto was ultimately the winner of that contract and he could be a steal if he can overcome his size issues at the professional level.
It’ll all start this weekend in Traverse City, so hopefully he gets a lot of ice-time and is able to create space, instead of being physically dominated.
No. 3: Keith Petruzzelli
I want Petruzzelli to succeed so bad and hope that he can somehow establish himself as a full-time Toronto Marlies goaltender this year, but all signs point towards him starting with the Newfoundland Growlers once again.
At 6-foot-5, 185 pounds, Petruzzelli looks like your modern-day NHL type of goaltender. Goaltenders take even longer than defensemen to develop, so although he’s 23-years-old, he still has another two-to-three years of development until he’ll be ready for the NHL.
It’ll take some time for him to finally get there, but Petruzzelli is the type of goalie you need to keep in your system and watch him grow, because he definitely has NHL aspirations.
During his first season in the Leafs system, the Wilbraham, MA native had a .927 SV% and 2.01 GAA in 23 games with the Growlers. His numbers dropped when he was called up to the Marlies, but he only played five games, so his .902 SV% and 3.12 GAA shouldn’t be anything to worry about long-term.
Joseph Woll, Erik Kallgren, Dylan Ferguson and Dennis Hildeby are all young intriguing goaltending prospects in the Leafs system, but Petruzzelli is the one that intrigues me the most.
No. 4: Nick Robertson
The fact that Robertson was invited to Traverse City is kind of strange to me. It feels like this tournament should be bigger than him, but the fact that he’s here, means he should dominate.
If Robertson doesn’t average one goal per game in this mini-series, I’ll be worried. He’s way too over-qualified for this event and should be hands down the best player in the tournament.
Part of me kind of thinks the Leafs are sending him here, only to boost his confidence. Last year during this event, he was remarkable and he should all be better this year, as he’s probably the only player on the roster that has a legitimate shot at making the big club this year.
As we all know, this is a huge year for Robertson and it starts at this tournament this weekend.
Look for Robertson to score every game he plays in and average around two points per game. He should be the best player in the tournament and if he’s not, we should all be a little worried.
No. 5: Pavel Gogolev
Gogolev was dominant during his stretch with the Newfound Growlers last year, scoring nine goals in 14 games, while contributing 20 points. His Toronto Marlies season didn’t transition as well as his time in the ECHL but there’s a lot to like about this prospect.
The 22-year-old is another Peterborough Petes prospect, who played with Robertson and SDR and was a very great scorer in junior hockey.
During his last year with the Guelph Storm, he finished with 45 goals and 96 points in only 63 games played. That’s some crazy offensive fire-power that the Leafs organization is hoping transitions to an NHL-level.
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Gogolev will start the season with the Marlies this year (most likely), but it wouldn’t be shocking to eventually see him in the NHL. He has a fantastic shot and has really good vision and plays left-wing, which a current position that Toronto lacks in.