Report: Leafs prospect and pending RFA expected to leave the team after 5 years with the organization
It's no secret that the Leafs have an abundance of UFAs and RFAs in need of new deals or their walking papers this summer. Following the departure of Carl Dahlstrom, who signed a 3-year deal with Farjestad of the SHL yesterday, the Leafs still have 20 players who are set to become free agents this summer. Now, it appears as though one more Leaf could be headed to Europe.
Per Elite Prospects, there is a rumour that 2018 3rd round pick Semyon Der-Arguchintsev could be preparing to jump ship in North America and head back to his former KHL club, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.
Der-Arguchintsev was originally drafted in the 3rd round in the 2018 draft with a pick that had originally belonged to the St. Louis Blues. That 76th overall pick was picked up when the Leafs traded down a few spots with the Blues in order to draft Rasmus Sandin.
Der-Arguchintsev made his NHL debut this past season, playing only one game for the Leafs against the Dallas Stars on December 6th and seeing his ice time limited due to the situations arising in the game. The Leafs did end up winning by a score of 4-0, but Der-Arguchintsev saw just 10 shifts in the game, totaling 7:16 of ice time.
If the 22-year-old forward is indeed headed back to the KHL, it's likely due to the fact that he doesn't feel as though he has an especially strong opportunity to challenge for an NHL job with the Leafs. As a restricted free agent, he'll have next to no negotiating power.
If the Leafs wish to retain his NHL rights for the time being, they'll still need to tender Der-Arguchintsev a qualifying offer.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 2 | 26 ANSWERS Report: Leafs prospect and pending RFA expected to leave the team after 5 years with the organization Will Semyon Der-Arguchintsev be back with the Leafs organization at some point next season? | ||
| Yes | 8 | 30.8 % |
| No | 18 | 69.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
