When the Philadelphia Flyers drafted defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii 27th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft back in June, the expectation was that the goliath teenager would peak as a high-end bruiser. At the peak of his powers, though, Sokolovskii could be much more than that.
The 18-year-old Russian defenseman showed little offensive upside in his draft year with the OHL London Knights, scoring just two goals, six assists, and eight points in 44 regular season games, and going scoreless in five playoff games as London’s coaching staff directed him to focus on the defensive side of the puck.
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But, that’s also not to say that Sokolovskii lacks the ability entirely, either.
For instance, in the 2024-25 season with the 16U AAA Atlantic Coast Academy, Sokolovskii scored 34 goals, 50 assists, and 84 points in just 65 games, which was second on the Academy in scoring (forward Nikita Shcherbakov had 87 in 64) and paced all 16U AAA defensemen in scoring.
This isn’t a great litmus test in terms of competition, but Sokolovskii has shown he can do it.
In a less competitive setting, Sokolovskii set the Flyers’ development camp on fire earlier this summer, frequently showcasing his anomalous skating relative to his size, as well as some creativity on the puck and some stickhandling, too.
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More recently, in some viral new highlights, the hulking 6-foot-8 Flyers prospect flexes what very well could be his full potential as a hockey player.
Flyers’ Sokolovskii looking like the total package
In this first clip of Sokolovskii playing against the Erie Otters in OHL preseason, the recent first-round pick uses his impressive skating to knife his way into the offensive zone while, importantly, keeping his head up to scan for options.
Knowing he had teammates behind him streaking in support, Sokolovskii lowered his shoulder, blew by an Erie defender, and cut towards the net, peeling the puck back into open space for Kane Barch to deposit into the net.
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And, transition wasn’t the only area where Sokolovskii shined against Erie.
Later in the game, the top Flyers prospect also saw some power play minutes, picking up an assist on his long-range shot from the point.
Here, you’ll see Sokolovskii walk the line and try not to defer the puck back to the left wall, from where he received it.
Instead, Sokolovskii goes to his right, getting the Erie defense to shift slightly before getting the puck in return. From there, Sokolovskii takes advantage of the lack of pressure in his face, manipulating the shooting lane and observing a teammate uncontested in the bumper, which is putting a triple screen on the opposing goalie.
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One deflection later, Sokolovskii had two assists on the night just like that.
The London Knights rearguard still has plenty of work to do, particularly in terms of his passing, decision-making, and puck-handling/retrievals, but it’s also obvious how swimmingly things can go when Sokolovskii is on his game and making the right reads and plays.
After the draft, the Flyers noted Sokolovskii’s upward trajectory that continued throughout his draft year, and if that continues, there’s no telling where the young prospect could eventually end up.
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