NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Dmitri Sokolov

Get to Know Dmitri Sokolov

Date of Birth: April 14, 1998 (18)
Place of Birth: Omsk, RUS
Ht: 6’1” Wt: 205 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Center/Winger
Team: Sudbury Wolves

Statistics

What Scouts See
Corey Pronman, ESPN
In the summer, he was a no-doubt first-rounder and maybe even a top-10 pick, but he fell off that level quickly. One big issue for scouts has been Sokolov’s skating and weight. His weight has been an issue all season, with him being measured over 220 pounds at times, but he managed to get it down to 205 toward the end of the season. In terms of positives, Sokolov is a highly skilled forward with an elite shot who can dominate based on his puck skills, hockey IQ and power game. He’s a competitive player who notably improved his defensive play as the season went on. Despite all the doom and gloom, he scored 30 goals on a very bad Sudbury team while playing with a dislocated shoulder, and many hockey folks from Russia still believe in his upside.

What BSN Avalanche sees
Dmitri Sokolov is probably not a risk the Avalanche can afford to take. Look for a team like Toronto, or Calgary, or Carolina to draft Sokolov this summer because the only way a head scout can really justify the selection is if they also get 8 or 10 other opportunities in the draft to save their job. There is absolutely no question that Sokolov can play. His hands and vision are top tier in this draft class and he has the ability to pick apart goalies at will with his creativity and wicked shot. The problem as so many other scouts have noted is that you only see that player a very small percentage of the time. The rest of the time, this stout 220 lb’er drifts around the ice without much hustle or purpose.
Sokolov has an incredible ability to read the defense and find soft spots in coverage where he can blast home one timers, and when he’s carrying the puck he shows some good speed, especially in the first few steps, but all that seems to disappear if he’s stripped of the puck or loses the handle on one of his many impressive dekes. If Sokolov can get his training and work ethic in order, he could be one of the best value picks in this draft, but if being counted on to lead his team offensively during his draft year wasn’t a powerful motivator, it seems unlikely that much anything else will be.

NHL Potential
Last summer Dmitri Sokolov was considered one of the best prospects in the 2016 draft and there’s no question that he still possesses the raw skill and creativity to justify that high ranking. Even amidst concerns over his skating, conditioning, and work ethic Sokolov still managed to lead a bad Sudbury Wolves team in both goals and points. If Sokolov can figure out the off-ice part of his hockey career, then it’s still possible that he could become a top six scoring forward at the NHL level, but with serious concerns about Sokolov’s development this is a big boom or bust prospect.

Expected Draft Position
Sokolov’s unique situation makes him a particularly volatile prospect in this year’s draft. Some scouts like ESPN’s Corey Pronman who ranks Sokolov 27th, still consider him a high quality prospect while others have almost given up completely on his potential as an NHLer. Central Scouting ranked Sokolov 129th among North American skaters.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization
The current Avalanche regime has shown significant interest in Russian reclamation projects, acquiring Mikhail Grigorenko and Nikita Zadorov from the Buffalo Sabres and attempting to bring Alexander Radulov back to the NHL to reunite with his Quebec Remparts coach Patrick Roy. Sokolov is a project in his own right and maybe too risky of one considering he’ll return to juniors without the Avs’ ability to work with him directly, but if a team can get Sokolov to turn the corner they’ll reap the benefits on a player once considered a top 10 talent in the draft.
Organizationally Sokolov would help the Avalanche address their dearth of forward prospects with high offensive upside.