A potential reunion between a long-lost prospect and the Toronto Maple Leafs is still in the works. Or, at least the player still wants to badly come back.
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft and while he had a solid OHL and AHL career after being drafted, he decided to go back to Russia to lace up for the KHL and maybe even stick around there. But now, he wants to come back.
The first reports of this potential reunion happened back in April of this year. Der-Arguchintsev's agent was outspoken about his client wanting to come back to Toronto, and even said there were conversations with then general manager Brad Treliving about it. Unfortunately, there has been a change in the front office and we're not sure if any conversations have been had with current general manager John Chayka about this happening.
But now, we get some new details.
Der-Arguchintsev wants a Toronto reunion, not to stay in the KHL
Last week, Der-Arguchintsev's signing rights were traded in the KHL, from Dinamo Moscow to Admiral Vladivostok, but that doesn't guarantee anything.
In a very brief interview, Der-Arguchintsev's agent confirmed that there has been no contract negotiations between the player and his new KHL team, since his eyes are truly set on a return to North America.
That's it. Der-Arguchintsev is willing to not even have any certainty in the KHL because he wants to come back to Toronto so badly. Some training camps have already started in the KHL, since the season starts in the first week of September. But the former Leafs prospect is sitting on the sidelines and is waiting to see if maybe he can even get something figured out with Toronto.
Is Der-Arguchintsev good enough?
While this could be exciting, it's not like Der-Arguchintsev is going to set the hockey world on fire. He's a 5-foot-11 center who plays like his height and while he has been an impressive playmaker at times, it wasn't until his 2022-23 season with the Marlies where he scored 40 points in 50 games that he really showed any signs of anything more.
But, there are at least signs of current Leafs stars liking his game.
“He’s great,” Auston Matthews said about Der-Arguchintsev ahead of his single game in the NHL, all the way back in 2022. "He’s just a little ball of energy out there. He’s extremely skilled, and you can just see that he’s not afraid to make plays and play his game out there. He’s really nice. He’s quiet. And he works hard.”
The 25-year-old just finished a season where he scored six goals and 37 points in 59 games split between Traktor Chelyabinsk and Dinamo Moscow.
At worst, Der-Arguchintsev could return to the Marlies with a higher profile than when he left three seasons ago. Or, maybe he can battle in training camp and be a solid scoring option on the fourth line, to balance out folks like Dakota Joshua and Colton Sissons. Time will tell.
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