After a very short stint in North America, Kirill Semyonov returned to Russia in December. He’ll stay there for the next two seasons at least, signing a new contract today with Ak Bars Kazan that keeps him in the KHL through 2023-24.
Semyonov, 27, signed a one-year entry-level deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs last spring to try his hand at the NHL level. After finding middle success in the organization and spending just three games in the Maple Leafs lineup, however, he decided to terminate that contract and go home. He left with nine points in nine AHL games, but none in his three NHL appearances.
Upon returning, Semyonov played a handful of games with Avangard Omsk before joining the Russian Olympic team, where he was a dynamic performer en route to a silver medal. The KHL standout then continued his strong play in the postseason, recording six points in 13 games.
There’s legitimate talent in the undrafted Russian forward, enough to suggest that a three-game sample in the NHL is likely not a true indicator of what he could do at that level. But with another deal coming quickly with a strong program, it seems a return to North America may never be in the cards.