Next up on the summer edition of the Top 25 Under 25 is the Flyers’ newest first rounder, Maksim Sokolovskii. The hulking London Knight defender brings a throwback combination of size and strength to the back end, and despite the low point total, there’s reason to believe that his puck-moving skills could be taken to another level with a bit more development.
No. 16: Maksim Sokolovskii
2025-26 Primary League/Team: London Knights (OHL)
2025-26 Statistics: 2G 6A 8PTS in 44GP
Age as of 9/15/2026: 18 (7/12/2008)
Acquired Via: 2026 NHL Draft -Round 1, Pick 27
How did Sokolovskii’s 2025-26 season go?
In just his second season in North America, following a youth career largely spent in Russia, Sokolovskii made his OHL debut with the London Knights as a 17-year-old amongst a sea of older options. After a start to the season where he was in-and-out of the lineup, Sokolovskii became more and more of a mainstay as the season went on. By the time the calendar turned to January, he consistently found himself amongst London’s top four, and his role would only increase from there. He brought a physical element to London’s lineup that other options simply couldn’t provide, and as he grew into the North American game, he got even more comfortable asserting himself.
By the time Sokolovskii got to the OHL playoffs, he was an all-out bruiser on the back end, erasing opponents and clearing the front of the net with relative ease. But the more impressive developments came from the other parts of his game. Physical OHL defenders are a dime-a-dozen, but Sokolovskii’s other skills, while still very raw, was what elevated him to becoming the 27th overall pick in this past draft. He has an awkward stride, which isn’t surprising at all for a 6-foot-8 17-year old, but he can generate a surprising burst whenever he needs it.
His two goals and eight points in 44 games definitely left something to be desired, but he was asked to play a very specific role in London, and eventually got to be pretty adept at it by the time his season ended. In the OHL playoffs in particular, Sokolovskii really made his presence felt every time he stepped onto the ice, rubbing out forwards along the wall, making smart decisions with the puck, and being an absolute nightmare to go into the corners with. The end of season growth was what really put him on the radar heading into the draft, and is the reason why a lot of scouts and evaluators believe that he can be more than just a bottom-pair tough guy.
What are we expecting from Sokolovskii this season?
As Sokolovskii returns for his second season in the OHL, he will no doubt be entrusted with a lot more responsibility than he was in his first. Dale and Mark Hunter love nothing more than a bruising top pair defender, and his draft pedigree and incremental improvement throughout last year will no doubt boost his profile amongst the organization and lead to a lot more playing time.
But with this newfound opportunity, there will no doubt be more expectations placed on his wide shoulders. His on-puck play improved throughout the year, and as he gets more time to scan the ice and be entrusted with his decision-making, he should be able to bump up his point total to something a bit more befitting of a first-round pick.
It’s hard to really guess just how his next year will go, since his development got strapped to a rocketship to end last year, and we don’t exactly know where the ceiling is for him just yet. But with the opportunity that will be offered to him as a few Knights defenders move on from the OHL, he’ll undoubtedly get more playing time regardless of how much he grows his game.
A bump in points should be expected, it’s just whether it’s a slight nudge into the 20’s, or some sort of leap into 30+ territory that is in question. It’ll be interesting to see how Sokolovskii’s newfound ice time affects his physical game, too, given he’ll now have a bit of a target on his back, and a lot more punishment to dish out once his minutes get increased. He has enough skill and skating acumen to be able to soak up the time, it’s just a matter of how it will affect his game overall.
How does Sokolovskii fit in the Flyers’ organization?
The fit was never a question with Sokolovskii, given the Flyers penchant of drafting former London Knights, and their relatively small NHL defensive unit, the archetype made perfect sense from the day he was drafted. Sokolovskii will be given a long developmental runway before being asked to take on NHL minutes, but once he’s ready, he should be accommodated at the NHL level.
The Flyers have been longing after two different types of defensemen: a power play quarterback, and an out and out bruiser. It’s clear which role he was drafted to fill, and more size and wingspan on the back end is never going to be a bad thing, no matter how long it takes him to get to the Show. Keith Jones has vocalized his affection for players like Hunter McDonald in the past, and Sokolovskii should be much better than that if he continues on this development path. They clearly value him, and he should be given every chance to turn into a long-term NHLer.
What do we think Sokolovskii’s ultimate NHL upside is, and how likely is it that he gets to something approaching that?
Sokolovksii’s pro projection should, funnily enough, be the same sort of role that he will probably play in London this upcoming season. A top-four defender with upside should his offensive game take a step forward, that will bring a significant amount of snarl to any lineup he joins, without sacrificing too much in the form of skating or puck skills. Ideally, Sokolovskii is going to become the new Nikita Zadorov, who also came up through the ranks as a London Knight, and whose point total took a pretty big jump during year two in the OHL. His path is similar, and while there’s a lot of work to be done to get there, the incremental improvements that occurred throughout his first year in a truly competitive environment is very encouraging.
At his worst, he will be a headache to play against for every team that goes up against him, playing bottom pair minutes and erasing everyone who comes into his path. He’ll never scoring 20 goals or be the greatest at maneuvering in tight, but his framework is that of a 15-year NHL vet, if it all comes together.
How we voted
…At No. 16:
| Brad | Cole | Evan | Jason M | Kelly | Kurt | Maddie | Readers | Ryan G | Thomas |
| Spencer Gill | Ty Murchison | Hunter McDonald | David Jiricek | Heikki Ruohonen | Spencer Gill | Ty Murchison | Cole Knuble | Carson Bjarnason | Heikki Ruohonen |
For Maksim Sokolovskii:
| Brad | Cole | Evan | Jason M | Kelly | Kurt | Maddie | Readers | Ryan G | Thomas |
| 23 | 14 | 18 | 24 | 17 | 13 | 21 | 14 | 14 | 21 |
