2022 Top 25 Under 25: Semyon Der-Arguchintsev is #21

Welcome back to the Top 25 Maple Leafs under 25! Today we're looking at the 21st ranked player, the final of the first five, and our subject is being ranked for the sixth time.

Number 21 is 2018 draft pick Semyon Der-Arguchintsev.

The Player

Drafted from the OHLs Peterborough Petes in 2018, SDA, as we like to call him because that's a lot of typing every time, has jumped around various leagues. He's been a Newfoundland Growler, he played in the KHL with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, and most recently he has been in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, playing 57 games in interrupted seasons.

A centre is always a great choice to draft because while they learn to lead a line, they can also move over to play wing, which SDA did on multiple occasions with the Petes and Marlies.

While 2018 seems like a long time ago and we can be wondering where SDA is and why hasn't he played an NHL game yet and is he a bust, we shouldn't. His post draft year was his only full season. All the rest have been disrupted by the pandemic and injuries.

However, when he plays, he plays. He has been a productive scorer at every level he's played, even notching two points in his first three games as a pro in the ECHL.

His AHL time has been well used as well, even looking just at points. 32 (13G/15A) in 51 games last year is good for his first full AHL season.

Outside of the numbers he's getting praise from the coaching staff and getting good linemates, most notably playing with his old Petes teammate Nick Robertson.

I'm going to quote a rival blog stealing our bit here, but Nick Barden is a great source for the Marlies:

“[Der-Arguchintsev] was maybe one of the most improved players of the year.” Marlies head coach Greg Moore said after Toronto’s season came to a close. “Early in the season, I think it was getting used to the consistency, the pace of play, and the strength of the league. He started to put in a lot of work in the weight room, in practice, and the consistency of how hard he pushed himself to elevate physically and building stronger habits, which started to show up in the second half of the year. Way more competitive in game, really strong on pucks."

Related

2022 TLN Prospect Rankings: #12 Semyon Der-Arguchintsev

SDA is a player who has the skills needed to make the NHL. He just needs to put the work in and get the opportunity.

The Votes

Oops. I didn't vote for SDA. I could have sworn I did, so I guess whoever was above or below him got his vote. This is not a Brendan Leipsic situation.

I would have put him around 20th so I don't think this changed his ranking at all.

Semyon Der-Arguchintsev Votes

dhammm: SDA's production this year was medium for a sophomore AHL campaign but great for a rookie campaign, and given how weird everything's been with COVID, I am inclined to read his progress with sympathy. The probability that SDA develops into a zippy top-6 centre is about zilch. There's a remote chance that he still ekes out a career as a meaningful NHL forward, but that chance is still too slim for me to put him anywhere besides the top of the tier containing AHLers with remote chances at the NHL. That said, it's worth filling prospect pipelines with these guys; examples of players who looked like this by D+4 include Carter Verhaeghe and Ondrej Palat.

Brigstew: SDA seems like he could become a perfectly cromulent AHL guy. He had an okay first AHL season, and if we want to keep thinking he may be legit as a potential NHLer he’s going to make a big jump this year.

TomK421: The OG Short King! I have him in the same tier as a bunch of the zippy guys and spent too much time shuffling them around before saying screw it and putting SDA higher because he’s adorable.

Katya: I voted him at 17, which for me means tops out as AHLer. So, I think he will top out as an AHLer, but his talent is undeniable.

So, SDA, a player who could go to the NHL and will probably be a great Marlie for a long time.

How long will it take SDA to make the Maple Leafs?