A Maple Leafs draft pick dominated the KHL and now wants to come back as the rebuild just got more interesting
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev is looking to make a comeback with the Maple Leafs and he could certainly fit right in after spending three years in the KHL.
One of the prospects that the fans probably forgot about, Der-Arguchintsev has been plying his trade over in Russia with the KHL and putting in a pretty solid career with both Traktor Chelyabinsk and Dynamo Moskva.
Drafted 76th overall by the Maple Leafs in 2018, he's spent the majority of his time with the Marlies when he was in North America though did end up skating in one NHL games back in 2022-23, and there was no word on whether he would come back or find a new home in Russia.
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev ready to make the jump back to the Maple Leafs in 2026-27
He would certainly add a great deal of help to the lineup and could be a potential replacement for their third or fourth-line centre if he were to come over. He's a defensively solid playmaker who is only 25 though is a little bit smaller than your average Maple Leaf but size matters not if you've got the skill.
And it looks like he wants to make his return to the blue and white according to his agent:
Semyon is considering the option of returning to Toronto. We contacted former general manager Brad Treliving and expressed our desire to return to the club’s system. Now we are waiting for the appointment of a new general manager and to understand his position.
That's pretty great news considering that Der-Arguchintsev was potentially a strong lineup candidate before Brad Treliving moved in, and it's no coincidence that once he was out of the picture that Der-Arguchintsev wants to come back.
Der-Arguchintsev, 25, had 37 points this season in 59 games with both Traktor and Dynamo; he has 101 points in 171 KHL career KHL games with a plus-6 rating.
With the Marlies he was pretty solid as well, posting 76 points in 107 games, so it's not like he has a problem acclimating to the North American game; he's well versed and just played in the second-largest pro hockey league in the world.
Knowing that the Maple Leafs want to make several changes and have a bonafide NHL-ready player who is young and hungry, it would behoove them to get their management situation sorted out and make sure they bring back Der-Arguchintsev.
Clearly the Russian forward feels like he is ready to take his talents back to North American and be part of the solution for the Maple Leafs. The only question is if Toronto believes in him as much as he does himself.
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