Prospect Info: 2018 NHL Entry Draft Discussion: Final Countdown! Tomorrow is the big day!

[SprDaVE]

Not sure if it's been posted since this is a couple days old but Pronman ranked SDA at #25 on his top 74 prospects for the draft.

I can't say I noticed him very much when I watched him earlier in the season but looks like I missed his breakout later in the season.

25. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, C, Peterborough-OHL
Sept. 15, 2000 | 5-foot-10 | 159 pounds
GP: 68 | Goals: 12 | Points: 59 | Shoots: Right
Skating: 50
Puck Skills: 60
Physical Game: 30
Hockey sense: 65
Der-Arguchintsev (he goes by SDA) is one of the more interesting players in this class. He’s born at the cutoff date for the draft, meaning he was hours away from being eligible for the 2019 draft. SDA’s production hasn’t been great this season, but he has a great toolkit, and how young he is relative to the class leaves room for projection. He ended the season very well after Peterborough leaned on for him top responsibilities. If you go watch his last 20 games, you see a player emerging, and I think he could make an impact in the OHL in 2018-19. SDA can make high-skill plays, showing high-end hands and ability to create space. He’s one of the best playmakers in the class, who can flash elite vision, is very patient and looks to make plays to his teammates. He plays with pace, being able to make tough plays at full speed and buzzes around the zone. He has a lot of growing to do though. He skates fine, but he’s not as explosive a skater as you’d like for his size, and he has to bulk up a ton, as his physical game at the moment is quite poor. There’s a lot of projection in his game, but there could be a lot of value if he hits.

 

[DraftGuru]

Not sure if it's been posted since this is a couple days old but Pronman ranked SDA at #25 on his top 74 prospects for the draft.

I can't say I noticed him very much when I watched him earlier in the season but looks like I missed his breakout later in the season.

SDA is my 3rd round steal. Youngest player in the draft and room to grow. A Dubas type of pick with good upside.

 

[SprDaVE]

SDA is my 3rd round steal. Youngest player in the draft and room to grow. A Dubas type of pick with good upside.

Seems like a great candidate to pick up mid/late 2nd round if the Leafs trade down from the #25 spot.

I'd feel a lot more comfortable drafting less of a project or at least one that is a little less high risk from all accounts in the first round, especially when there are just as highly projected players.

Pronman did say it was't a mock draft, said he'd probably never project as a first rounder for probably the concerns I just brought up.

 

[KlattNazty]

Thanks for that note about SDA - seems like an interesting player.

 

[Peasy]

Seems like a great candidate to pick up mid/late 2nd round if the Leafs trade down from the #25 spot.

I'd feel a lot more comfortable drafting less of a project or at least one that is a little less high risk from all accounts in the first round, especially when there are just as highly projected players.

Pronman did say it was't a mock draft, said he'd probably never project as a first rounder for probably the concerns I just brought up.

SDA according to his rankings is a 2nd round pick.

Top 21 was 1st round picks, 22-42 2nd round, the rest mid to late round picks.

 

[SprDaVE]

SDA according to his rankings is a 2nd round pick.

Top 21 was 1st round picks, 22-42 2nd round, the rest mid to late round picks.

Yeah good point.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Not sure if it's been posted since this is a couple days old but Pronman ranked SDA at #25 on his top 74 prospects for the draft.

I can't say I noticed him very much when I watched him earlier in the season but looks like I missed his breakout later in the season.

Good luck fitting THAT name on a jersey! LOL

 

[ObscureAlien]

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Not sure if it's been posted since this is a couple days old but Pronman ranked SDA at #25 on his top 74 prospects for the draft.

I can't say I noticed him very much when I watched him earlier in the season but looks like I missed his breakout later in the season.

I have him ranked as a 5th round prospect. I could see him in the latter part of the 3rd or the 4th as well, and I think he fits well with what the Leafs want, but he is quite small and Peterborough did not do him any favours in terms of letting him stand out.

I have his teammate Pavel Gogolev as a 6th round prospect, despite scoring 30 goals last year.

I am planning on updating my rankings and these guys may be slotted differently though.

 

[DraftGuru]

I have him ranked as a 5th round prospect. I could see him in the latter part of the 3rd or the 4th as well, and I think he fits well with what the Leafs want, but he is quite small and Peterborough did not do him any favours in terms of letting him stand out.

I have his teammate Pavel Gogolev as a 6th round prospect, despite scoring 30 goals last year.

I am planning on updating my rankings and these guys may be slotted differently though.

Still think we can reach him at a 3rd and that's being conservative. I have GoGo in the 4th. Not sure if we would reach for SDA at 52 but if we did, it wouldn't be the end of the world.... Youngest player in the draft with a lot of upside.

 

[93LEAFS]

I wouldn't be too optimisitic on SDA. Smaller guys who are playmakers that don't have an ability to create seperation tend to be long-shots to make the NHL. You need to be able to create time on the puck through either strength, speed, or agility to open the passing windows to be a top player. He is heavily lacking in those abilities.

 

[scoutsystem]

I have him ranked as a 5th round prospect. I could see him in the latter part of the 3rd or the 4th as well, and I think he fits well with what the Leafs want, but he is quite small and Peterborough did not do him any favours in terms of letting him stand out.

I have his teammate Pavel Gogolev as a 6th round prospect, despite scoring 30 goals last year.

I am planning on updating my rankings and these guys may be slotted differently though.

We too had SDA in the 5th, and Gogolev in the 6th. Neither were really standout type guys this season. However they could be the kind of players that really explode post draft season, 30 goals is a reason to be optimistic for Gogolev and SDA is a solid player for sure.

 

[Kiwi]

I wouldn't be too optimisitic on SDA. Smaller guys who are playmakers that don't have an ability to create seperation tend to be long-shots to make the NHL. You need to be able to create time on the puck through either strength, speed, or agility to open the passing windows to be a top player. He is heavily lacking in those abilities.

He could be worth a shot in the mid to late rounds and let Underhill get her hands on him and see if we can improve his skating

 

[Judas Tavares]

This draft is crazy and I can't remember one quite like this. I feel there is a consensus 13, which is not crazy at all: Dahlin, Svechnikov, Zadina, Boqvist, Dobson, Bouchard, Hughes, Kotnaniemi, Wahlstrom, Tkachuk, Smith, Farabee, Veleno. I'll add Hayton to the mix and call it consensus 14.

But the crazy thing is, someone like Wahlstrom or Tkachuk could go 4, or they could go 9. That is a big range for a top 10 player. The #2 dman on one's list can be the #6 on another.

Will there be a dman run once the #2 guy is off the board like in 2012, where 7-straight were taken? Will there be a centre run earlier than expected (Kotkaniemi, Veleno, Hayton) in the top 10 cause the lack there of?

Then we hit pick #15. I've seen guys ranked at 15 on one list and in the 50s on another.

This is exciting for a draft junkee like me. You get to watch the wildness unfold and while you don't need to stress with a major chip in the game, you still have a chip to look forward to.

 

[Petes]

Not sure if it's been posted since this is a couple days old but Pronman ranked SDA at #25 on his top 74 prospects for the draft.

I can't say I noticed him very much when I watched him earlier in the season but looks like I missed his breakout later in the season.

Ive been lucky enough to watch this kid in Peterborough the past two years and he is by far my favourite offrnsive player to watch on our squad. He makes defenders look ridiculous in open ice with his unreal skill set. He lacks an elite gear skating wise for sure as Pronman noted... if he can add a step, continue to grow/get stronger... the kid's gunna be a stud! Being a leafs and Petes fan... I'd be ecstatic with the leafs grabbing him in round 3.

 

[DraftGuru]

Its all about projection. SDA has elite puck skills and hockey sense with slightly above average skating. Skating can be worked on. As stated before, he is the youngest player in the draft. Well worth a 3rd round pick.

 

[93LEAFS]

Its all about projection. SDA has elite puck skills and hockey sense with slightly above average skating. Skating can be worked on. As stated before, he is the youngest player in the draft. Well worth a 3rd round pick.

I don't think his hockey sense is quite elite. At least to the extent, it off-sets his lack of ability to create seperation, I'm fine with him in the 3rd. But, to have him over M. Samuelsson by 44 spots is insanity to me.

 

[crump]

The best thing about the draft for me is that you can get a player like Kucherov at 58 and all the experts and prognosticators had no idea what he would become. You see the skill, but maybe they are skinny, or short, but you take a leap and hope it works out for you. There is always a lot of hope with the draft.

 

[realgoodleafs]

Seems like a great candidate to pick up mid/late 2nd round if the Leafs trade down from the #25 spot.

I'd feel a lot more comfortable drafting less of a project or at least one that is a little less high risk from all accounts in the first round, especially when there are just as highly projected players.

Pronman did say it was't a mock draft, said he'd probably never project as a first rounder for probably the concerns I just brought up.

Small Russian winger who hasn't produced and isn't a great skater? He'll probably be available in the 7th round.

 

[HC7]

I've really grown to take a liking to Berggren. I would take him with 25 no questions asked. Having said that I'm really high on Merkley and Wise as well.

I'm not sure how Dubas would be able to do it, but if he could get 35 and 38 from Montreal if Merkley and Wise/Berggren are still on the board it would change our organizational depth overnight.

Imagine adding Berggren and Wise to our C depth. As well as Merkley with Liljegren.

Our 2 weakest depth positions become our strengths. All extremely skilled players with high IQ.

 

[Scott Malkinson]

Please just draft Jonatan Berggren at 25.

Please and thank you.

 

[93LEAFS]

The best thing about the draft for me is that you can get a player like Kucherov at 58 and all the experts and prognosticators had no idea what he would become. You see the skill, but maybe they are skinny, or short, but you take a leap and hope it works out for you. There is always a lot of hope with the draft.

While I get the point of the example, but if I remember correctly with Kucherov, he told teams he had no interest in coming over to NA and liked the KHL. This was when fear over Russian prospects was at its highest. The previous year, one clear top 5 talent slipped to 16 (Tarasenko) and one clear top 10 guy slipped to 26 (Kuznetsov).

A good example of this is Brayden Point or Gaudreau.

 

[Stigma]

Isn't Berggren an RW?

Question: what do people think of Jay O'Brien for a mid round pick (maybe even earlier)? He is the Riley Tufte of this draft - a high school whiz (points wise) who hasn't proven himself at the USHL level as of yet. The good news though is that he played at the USA hockey U-18's and put up 8 points in 8 games. He's a C who is described as a good two way player with strong skating, and a high IQ. Sounds good to me.

 

[93LEAFS]

Isn't Berggren an RW?

Question: what do people think of Jay O'Brien for a mid round pick (maybe even earlier)? He is the Riley Tufte of this draft - a high school whiz (points wise) who hasn't proven himself at the USHL level as of yet. The good news though is that he played at the USA hockey U-18's and put up 8 points in 8 games. He's a C who is described as a good two way player with strong skating, and a high IQ. Sounds good to me.

If we take Jay O'Brien it will likely be in the 1st round. Its not likely he'll even be on the board for our pick in the 50's.

Also, considering how big a deal was made about not taking McLeod in the recent Mirtle piece due to revamped draft strategy by Dubas, I can't see us taking O'Brien that high.

 

[Stigma]

If we take Jay O'Brien it will likely be in the 1st round. Its not likely he'll even be on the board for our pick in the 50's.

Also, considering how big a deal was made about not taking McLeod in the recent Mirtle piece due to revamped draft strategy by Dubas, I can't see us taking O'Brien that high.

So he may potentially go in the first round? Interesting. This draft is all over the place! Anyway, I hope he falls a bit. Sounds like a good C selection for the 2nd round and later.