Prospect Info: With the #196 pick, Minnesota selects Dmitry Sokolov

[Jesus comma Brodin]

 

[Nsjohnson]

This kid can score goals. I had been closely following him through November and in December couldn't pay as much attention.

Sokolov ranks 3rd in goals scored on a terrible team (I keep repeating this). Almost every player on the team is a minus +/-. Sudbury is 7th out of 10 teams in the East in the OHL. And the East is way worse than the West.

Sokolov has a long uphill battle to learn a semblance of a 200 foot game but if he can do it, even if it takes him three more years to develop into something NHL ready, he'll score goals in the NHL. Big if's, but honestly, the Wolves are horrible. I'll beat this wagon again, but if Sokolov was on London, Erie, St. Marie, Windsor, etc. he would (at least with no doubts in my mind) be leading the OHL in goals - and probably by a lot.

DeBrincat leads the O with 32 goals but is a 97 born in his 3rd season. And he is wicked skilled. Sokolov has 28.

I think Sokolov could have 40 goals right now on any one of those teams, he's that good at scoring. Either way, he's on pace for over 50 goals and a laughable 21 assists.

 

[Nsjohnson]

Two more goals and now matching his goal total from last season in almost half as many games.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Hard to make a prospective 60 goal scorer stay in the same league, but that might be the situation he's in next year. Doesn't turn 20 until April 2018, so no AHL option for him.

 

[Bookman]

Hard to make a prospective 60 goal scorer stay in the same league, but that might be the situation he's in next year. Doesn't turn 20 until April 2018, so no AHL option for him.

Can't Europeans sidestep that rule?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Can't Europeans sidestep that rule?

Yes, if they were drafted out of the European league. Sokolov was a CHL player when drafted.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Can't Europeans sidestep that rule?

There is a technicality that Julius Honka exploited, in that he was loaned to the CHL from his SHL team, so it was technically ruled he was drafted out of the KHL.

It would probably be tough to figure out if Sokolov was under contract in the KHL/MHL and loaned to Sudbury though. So he likely wouldn't be able to exploit that rule.

 

[melinko]

People in the Sudbury thread on the OHL board seem a little worried he might decide to bolt to the KHL next year.

They make it sound like he is the only person on the team worth anything.

I hope he gets traded to a better OHL team, right now hes basically the only offensive option on his team and has no pressure on him to round out the rest of his skills.

 

[Minnesota]

It would be interesting to see how he stacks up against KHL competition.

Put him on a line with Kaprizov in Ufa.

 

[Eagle Claw]

He didnt make the WJC u20 team thats how he stacks up ,even if he scored against canada in superseries or what ever its called.
And lets face it russia had a few offensive stars that carried the whole team.
So either they prefer basic khl kids or sokolov is not an reliable complete player yet.
You have to be ovechkin quality to have the "right"to do what you like in the game in sokolovs case
maybe the goalscoring is overshadowing pervasive development as a complete player.
Why would you leave a sniper accustomed to Northamerican game unused?

 

[Dampland]

Wasn't he hurt and out of shape when the U20 teams were selected last summer?

 

[Wabit]

He didnt make the WJC u20 team thats how he stacks up ,even if he scored against canada in superseries or what ever its called.
And lets face it russia had a few offensive stars that carried the whole team.
So either they prefer basic khl kids or sokolov is not an reliable complete player yet.
You have to be ovechkin quality to have the "right"to do what you like in the game in sokolovs case
maybe the goalscoring is overshadowing pervasive development as a complete player.
Why would you leave a sniper accustomed to Northamerican game unused?

I have no clue what goes into each countries selection process. Was he even invited to the Russian camp? Does Russia even have a tryout camp? Maybe he didn't fit with their team philosophy?

Russia basically did what the US tried to do their WCH roster. 3 physical lines that try and grind everything out and one line (or player) does all the scoring.

 

[MuckOG]

He didnt make the WJC u20 team thats how he stacks up ,even if he scored against canada in superseries or what ever its called.
And lets face it russia had a few offensive stars that carried the whole team.
So either they prefer basic khl kids or sokolov is not an reliable complete player yet.
You have to be ovechkin quality to have the "right"to do what you like in the game in sokolovs case
maybe the goalscoring is overshadowing pervasive development as a complete player.
Why would you leave a sniper accustomed to Northamerican game unused?

I thought I heard that Russia pretty much goes exclusively with 19 years olds at the WJC. If he keeps it up, I have to imagine that he'll be on the Russian squad next year.

 

[MuckOG]

Another 2 goal game tonight. That makes 5 straight 2 goal games.

http://sudburywolves.com/players/7048/game_by_game

 

[DANOZ28]

hes playing well this year for sure , if next year he dominates & becomes one of the the top 2 or 3 players in the ohl points wise i'll start to believe we stole another 1st rounder.

 

[MuckOG]

hes playing well this year for sure , if next year he dominates & becomes one of the the top 2 or 3 players in the ohl points wise i'll start to believe we stole another 1st rounder.

He's already #3 in the OHL in goal scoring.

 

[57special]

Another 2 goal game tonight. That makes 5 straight 2 goal games.

http://sudburywolves.com/players/7048/game_by_game

You'd think he would throw in a hatty, already, just to change it up.

 

[MuckOG]

If he were to bolt the CHL next year and sign a contract with a KHL team, how long would the Wild retain his NHL rights?

 

[Wild11MN]

If he were to bolt the CHL next year and sign a contract with a KHL team, how long would the Wild retain his NHL rights?

Forever I think? As long as he stays over there for sure.

 

[Nsjohnson]

Padding his point totals the last two games by adding in some assists

 

[57special]

Just surpassed last years point totals(52 pts./68gp) with his 53rd pt. in only 45gp. Still 3rd in OHL goalscoring with 35.

 

[ClayAikenFan77]

Sokolov up to 40 goals (40g-21a). 2nd in goals, and 16th in points in his draft +1 year. Not too shabby for a 7th round pick on a terrible Sudbury team.

 

[Wabit]

Sokolov up to 40 goals (40g-21a). 2nd in goals, and 16th in points in his draft +1 year. Not too shabby for a 7th round pick on a terrible Sudbury team.

He was also projected as a 1st/2nd rounder for awhile before he got hurt. I'm wondering if teams just forgot about him on draft day or they just didn't want to take a chance with the injuries? He could be the steal of the draft.

Wonder where he'd go in this year's as an overager? He was within 20 picks of not being drafted.

 

[57special]

Well, he's proven he can shoot, has some moves, and has a decent or better size/strength. I hope he gets in a situation next year where he can work on his two way game. The NHL doesn't have many one dimensional scorers anymore, unless you are absurdly talented.

Will be interesting to see he and Kaprizov at the 2018-19 training camp.

 

[BagHead]

He was also projected as a 1st/2nd rounder for awhile before he got hurt. I'm wondering if teams just forgot about him on draft day or they just didn't want to take a chance with the injuries? He could be the steal of the draft.

Wonder where he'd go in this year's as an overager? He was within 20 picks of not being drafted.

He'd definitely go higher in this draft if he were in it than he did in the last. I'm not super brushed up on the prospects in this next draft (been paying more attention the the current team rather than the future team, since we've been so good) but I'd have to imagine he'd go in the top 3 rounds. Defense is still a big concern with him, and teams probably still would be slightly concerned about his lack of conditioning last season, but the kid has really stepped up his game this year, and done what he can to silence the doubters.