![\"Maksim](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Maksim-Sokolovskii-Knights-1200x960.jpg\")
Maksim Sokolovskii, London Knights (Luke Durda\/OHL Images)<\/p>\n
Sokolovskii isn\u2019t shy about using his size to his advantage. He\u2019s a punishing bodychecker and loves the opportunity to haul someone down to the ice or pin them to the boards with no chance of escape. He also has a massive reach thanks to his long reach and even longer stick, which he uses well to sweep the area in front and around him, forcing turnovers. His ability to completely overwhelm opponents led to a bit of a feud between him and Soo Greyhounds captain Brady Martin in the playoffs this season. \u201cHe can do it all game long. I don\u2019t care,\u201d Martin said after Game Two<\/a>. \u201cHe can\u2019t play the game of hockey, so if he\u2019s on me, that means someone else is open. That\u2019s okay with me.\u201d<\/p>\n Martin wasn\u2019t shy about taking shots at Sokolovskii, but the reason he was so frustrating was that he\u2019s quite a good hockey player. Unlike many bigger players, the Knights\u2019 massive defender is a decent skater, moving smoothly across the ice and using his strides efficiently to cover long distances. He also doesn\u2019t make a lot of mistakes while defending, playing a calm, patient game that helped London finish top-10 for the fewest goals allowed in the OHL. <\/p>\n But just because Sokolovskii is big doesn\u2019t mean he isn\u2019t a risky pick. He may have NHL-ready size, but his hockey sense has a long way to go before it catches up with his frame. When defending, he tends to focus on shutting down one player, chasing them around the corners and behind the net, which, as Martin said, leaves someone else open, and he doesn\u2019t have the mobility to quickly get back into his position. He\u2019s also not a great stickhandler, and if he\u2019s able to create a turnover, he\u2019ll either let a teammate pick it up or move it away from himself as quickly as possible. <\/p>\n However, less than a year ago, Sokolovskii was an offensive wizard, finishing second on the AAA U16 Atlantic Coast Academy team with 84 points in 65 games, while his 34 goals ranked fourth. It\u2019s a big jump from AAA to the OHL, and it\u2019s easy to forget the 6-foot-8 Russian is still a rookie and adjusting to the pace of Major Junior hockey. By the end of this season, he was getting more comfortable with the puck and making smart breakout passes, showing his growth with the puck. He still has a long way to go before he\u2019s an impact defenceman, but a lot can change in a year. <\/p>\n Other THW Draft Profiles<\/p>\n Maksim Sokolovskii \u2013\u00a0NHL Draft Projection<\/p>\n Bigger players frequently go higher than projected. 6-foot-6 Mason West, 6-foot-7 Dean Letourneau, and 6-foot-7 Maveric Lamoureaux were top-30 picks after being projected as second-rounders. Sokolovskii could very much follow in their footsteps, as he is currently projected as a late second-round pick, but with a month left to the Draft, a few outlets are calling for him to be taken in the first. Don\u2019t be surprised if a team looking to beef up their defence reaches for him in the 20-30 range. <\/p>\n Quotables<\/p>\n \u201cMaksim is a large, hard-hitting defender. He steps up to stop rushes and he delivers big hits, always finishing his checks. He started the game off with a fight which he very quickly won. He can also make some plays with the puck too, using hip fakes to buy himself time and space. He makes simple plays to move the puck up ice.\u201d Neutral Zone<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cSokolovskii is a massive and highly athletic defenseman. He\u2019s a strong, mobile player who\u2019s very physical and projects to make a ton of stops. The debate on Sokolovskii will come down to his puck play. He can certainly fight the puck at times, although he showed progress as the season went on. The hope is that he can make basic outlets and retrievals because if so, an NHL coach will play him a lot.\u201d Corey Pronman, The Athletic (from \u20182026 NHL Draft prospects: Chase Reid, Alberts Smits and Keaton Verhoeff top Pronman\u2019s ranking,\u2019 The Athletic \u2013 13\/05\/2026)<\/p>\n Strengths<\/p>\n Defensive presence<\/p>\n Strength and physicality<\/p>\n Reach<\/p>\n Under Construction \u2013 Improvements to Make<\/p>\n Ability to move and play the puck effectively<\/p>\n Mobility<\/p>\n Hockey sense<\/p>\n NHL Potential<\/p>\n Sokolovskii is the definition of a project prospect. He has all the makings of a heavy-hitting shutdown defenceman in the vein of Jamie Oleksiak or Nikita Zadorov, averaging 20-plus minutes a night and putting up around 20 points a season. It\u2019s going to take a long time for him to get there, though; defencemen already take longer than forwards, and players above 6-foot-3 take twice as long as those in the average height range. For a team willing to work with him in his development, though, he could be a very useful addition to their defence corps. <\/p>\n Risk-Reward Analysis<\/p>\n Risk \u2013 2\/5, Reward \u2013 3\/5<\/p>\n Fantasy Hockey Potential<\/p>\n Offence \u2013 3\/10, Defence \u2013 7\/10<\/p>\n Awards\/Achievements<\/p>\n 2024-25 U16 First All-Star Team<\/p>\n Interviews\/Links<\/p>\n Maksim Sokolovskii Stats<\/p>\n Videos<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Free Newsletter<\/p>\n \n Get NHL Entry Draft coverage delivered to your inbox <\/p>\n In-depth analysis, breaking news, and insider takes – free.<\/p>\n