Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, having spent the last two seasons in the KHL, is reportedly interested in rejoining the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. His agent, Shumi Babaev, has indicated discussions with former Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving about a potential return. With Der-Arguchintsev’s KHL contract set to expire on May 31st and no current talks with Dynamo, the decision now awaits the appointment of a new general manager. Der-Arguchintsev, who recorded six goals and 30 assists in 59 KHL games last season, is believed by his agent to be NHL-ready, though the team might consider a one-way contract at a salary close to the league minimum, acknowledging the possibility of AHL play.
The Winnipeg Jets are facing a pivotal offseason with several significant decisions to make. Holding the No. 7 pick in the upcoming draft, the team’s priority should be acquiring high-caliber talent rather than trading the pick for immediate fixes like a second-line center or a defenseman in the mold of Dustin Byfuglien. Potential draft targets include right-handed defensemen Keaton Verhoeff and Daxon Rudolph, or centers Tynan Lawrence and Caleb Malhotra. Alternatively, the Jets could consider trading the pick for a young player on an entry-level or RFA contract, such as Leo Carlsson or Jason Robertson, if such a deal could be struck and signed.
The Jets also possess Buffalo’s 2027 second-round pick, which, when combined with a promising prospect like Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, Colby Barlow, or Sascha Boumedienne, might be sufficient to acquire a secondary scorer, but likely not a top second-line center. A more provocative consideration is the potential trade of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Such a move could theoretically yield a top-four defenseman or a second-line center, though finding comparable trades for a goaltender of Hellebuyck’s caliber is challenging. For instance, the Florida Panthers might be persuaded to offer Anton Lundell and the No. 8 overall pick in exchange.
Another significant player whose future with the team is being considered is Kyle Connor, who holds a full no-movement clause. While not comparable to Mikko Rantanen, a hypothetical trade for Connor could be loosely benchmarked against the Matthew Tkachuk for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar deal. The Avalanche’s trade of Rantanen for Martin Necas and Jack Drury, and subsequent trade of Rantanen for Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks, and two third-round picks, illustrates the potential value of star players.
The prospect of trading Josh Morrissey or Mark Scheifele is also being contemplated, though it’s difficult to envision how such moves would immediately benefit the team, as they represent top-tier talent that would likely only be exchanged for comparable assets. Ultimately, it seems improbable that the Jets would proactively trade key players like Hellebuyck, Connor, Morrissey, or Scheifele unless it demonstrably improved the team’s overall composition, which appears unlikely in the current scenario.