Flyers trade down, select oversized, underage defenseman from Canadian juniors

The Philadelphia Flyers originally held the No. 21 pick heading into Friday night's NHL Entry Draft, but just ahead of making the pick, traded with the San Jose Sharks to move down the board and take the No. 27 spot.

More than 3 hours into the evening, they eventually selected defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.

Sokolovskii, born in July 2008 in Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan, collected 2 goals and 6 assists across 44 games during his first North American season. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound backliner is a left-handed shooter. He has one more season of juniors remaining ahead of committing to the University of Maine for the 2027-28 season. 

"We felt (Sokolovskii) was a guy we could get if we moved back," said Flyers GM Danny Briere late Friday. "There was a little bit of a risk that he could be taken, but we felt it was worth it. Something we don't have, especially, left shots we don't have a lot in the organization so that was a plus."

"We don't expect him to be the next big point producer. That wouldn't be fair. We see him as a big physical force, a defenseman that's gonna be tough to face. What pairing, I don't know yet, it's too early to tell, he could become a top-four defenseman if things fall into place," Briere added. 

Briere cited Sokolovskii's reach as an asset, but noted that his "puck game" needs more improvement. He additionally praised the rangy youngster's skating as a point of improvement over the previous season.

The Flyers previously dipped into the Hunter brothers' blueline largesse in 2023, taking Oliver Bonk with the 22nd overall pick. Since taking the reins in 2002, Knights head coach and former NHL master pest Dale Hunter has led his club to six OHL league championships and three Memorial Cups as the top development franchise in all of major Canadian juniors -- including 2025 when Bonk scored 31 combined goals between the regular season and playoffs.

"It's not a secret, they're one of the better organizations in the CHL. They seem to be able to build winners. There's a lot of guys that go through their program that end up in the NHL. They have a knack for raising those players to become pros," Briere said when asked what drew the front office to consistently choose prospects from London. "For us, it's a no-brainer when we have the chance to take someone, it obviously feels comfortable."

Other defensemen the franchise had previously selected in the first round in recent years include Cam York (14th overall, 2019), Ivan Provorov (No. 5, 2015), Travis Sanheim (No. 7, 2014), Sam Morin (11th overall, 2013) and Luca Sbisa (No. 19, 2008).

Stay tuned for additional coverage of rounds 2-7, which take place on Saturday.