Martin Psohlavec was the name attached to a first-round move by the Flyers, who traded down from No. 21 and still took Maksim Sokolovskii at No. 27 in the 2026 NHL draft. The pick gave them a 6-foot-7¼ defenseman and two extra picks, while Sokolovskii’s path now runs back to the Knights in September and then to the University of Maine for the following season.
Sokolovskii is listed at 240 pounds and plays left-shot defense for London of the Ontario Hockey League. He was born in Kazakhstan and grew up in Russia, and the Flyers had been tied to him since the NHL scouting combine in early June.
Danny Brière on Sokolovskii
Danny Brière said London is “One of the better organizations in the CHL. They seem to be able to build winners.” He also pointed to the player’s edge, saying, “The compete level is something that, in a lot of cases, you have, or you don’t.”
Brière added, “It’s really tough to bring that out of someone who doesn’t have it.” He said, “You watch him, it’s a natural thing,” and, “He loves to go after a guy.” Brière also said, “He likes to disturb, and on top of his size, it makes for a very impressive player on the ice.”
What scouts saw
Mike Taylor said Sokolovskii skates like he’s 5-foot-8. Scott Wheeler said, “When you’re huge, and you can skate, that’s often all that you need for NHL scouts to sort of perk up and start to pay attention.” Jeff Marek called him the hardest hitter in the draft class.
Some observers compared his physical style to Nikita Zadorov of the Boston Bruins. Several media outlets had the Flyers taking him at No. 21 before the draft, and The Inquirer did the same in its final mock draft.
Flyers trade back
The Flyers moved from No. 21 to No. 27 and picked up two extra picks before making the selection. That left them with the player they wanted and more draft capital to use later, a common trade-off when a team sees value still on the board after sliding back.
The complication is the same one that follows any pick built on size and skating: Sokolovskii has the frame and mobility scouts wanted, but his return to the Knights in September and his commitment to the University of Maine the following season push his NHL timeline farther out. For the Flyers, the bet is that the raw tools and compete level develop fast enough to justify passing on him at No. 21.
