The Flyers traded down in the first round of the 2026 NHL draft to select Maksim Sokolovskii, a massive left-handed defenseman from the London Knights, at No. 27 overall.
Here are five things to know about the newest Flyers prospect:
1. Tallest prospect in the NHL draft
At 6-foot-7, Sokolovskii was the second-tallest player in the Ontario Hockey League last season, and tied for the tallest prospect in the 2026 draft class. He’s even taller than the Sixers’ 2026 first-round pick, Labaron Philon Jr., who is 6-foot-3.
2. He is Kazakh-born
Sokolovskii was born in Petropavl, Kazakhstan. He is just the third player born in Kazakhstan to be drafted in the last 20 years, and if he makes his NHL debut, would be just the 14th Kazakh-born player to play in the league. However, Sokolovskii was raised in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
3. He’s committed to the University of Maine
But you won’t see Sokolovskii suit up for the Black Bears next year. The defenseman spent last season as a rookie in the OHL with the London Knights, who also developed Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk. He’s committed to start playing college hockey in 2027-28, and will return to London for another season in the OHL.
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4. He’s played in Philly before
Development camp won’t be Sokolovskii’s first time at the Flyers Training Center. In May 2024, he played in the World Selects Invitational, an annual tournament hosted at the facility for top youth teams from around the world. At the tournament, he was teammates with fellow 2026 draft prospect Egor Shilov, who could go in the second round.
5. He started playing hockey at age 6
Sokolovskii told The Inquirer that he first got on skates at age 6, after his mom saw an advertisement encouraging parents to sign their kids up for a learn-to-play program. She dropped him off at the rink, and his hockey career took off from there.
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