Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Forgotten Top Prospect : The Tale of Dmitri Sokolov

April 25, 2018, 11:23 AM ET [37 Comments]
Adam French
RSSArchiveCONTACT
The year is 2015. Obama is in the Whitehouse and the media assure us that this is the greatest time to be alive! There are only three late night comedy shows as opposed to the now seemingly limitless number. While we humble Canadians did not know how much we really love perfectly coifed luscious locks.

Entering the year of the 2016 draft there was a speculative top-10 as per usual. This list would contain some names you might be familiar with. Auston Matthews (1st), Jesse Puljujarvi (EDM 3rd), Patrik Laine (2nd), Matthew Tkachuk (4th) and…Dmitri Sokolov. Hard to believe considering you have likely never heard of this guy, but he was indeed considered to be a prime grade A prospects going into the 2015-2016 season.


Sokolov had a fantastic year as a 16 year old in the MHL being one of the youngest players in the league at the time. He scored 13 goals in 29 games.

He then had a dominant performance at the U17’s for the Gold Medal Russians. He scored 6 goals and 9 points as he and teammate Vitali Abramov (CLB 65th) formed a dynamic duo. He wasn’t the best forward in the tournament as that honour went to Clayton Keller (PHX 9th), but he was definitely the second.

Lastly as a 16 year old and one of the youngest players in the tournament, Sokolov put up a PPG on a disappointing Russian squad. A squad where he outperformed familiar names like Mikhail Sergachyov (MON 9th), Kirill Kaprisov (MIN 135th) and German Rubtsov (PHI 22nd).

The ultimate icing on the cake was that Sokolov had agreed to join the OHL squad that held his rights. A move that has often changed scouts opinions on international players…especially Russians. Joining the Sudbury Wolves after such a fantastic year seemed to all but scream to the heavens that Dmitri Sokolov will compete for a top-5 spot in the draft. He would be drafted 15 spots from the end of the draft at the auspicious slot of 196th by the Wild.

So how did this happen? How could a player with so much offensive talent and at the time the third best pure shot in the draft after Matthews and Laine fall so far? This is one of the most meteoric falls in draft history. How? I’ll tell you how. He played for the Sudbury Wolves.


The Wolves as an organization are a mess to put it bluntly. The year Sokolov joined, the Wolves finished last in the Eastern Conference : Central Division with a limp 38 points. Only the rebuilding Guelph Storm were worse. Though I’m sure some took solace in the fact that it was a marked improvement on their previous year in which they amassed a woeful 26 points. Playing in a strong division on a weak team, it was understandable that Sokolov would be the target of most teams. Especially since he was essentially the only player with any real skill. Despite this, Sokolov would lead his team in scoring, both goals and points (52). This included winning the rookie goal scoring record with 30. Those 30 goals would have put him in 5th on overall team scoring in points. That’s how poor the squad was.

Being a 17 year old “star” rookie playing in North America for the first time on a brutal team must have been a bad change of pace for Sokolov. We can get over the language barrier or cultural differences and just focus on the meat of the issue. Sokolov played as much as he possibly could. What does that mean when you’re on a terrible team playing huge minutes? Your plus/minus is going to suffer…and boy did it suffer. Sokolov ended the year with an absurd -40. Only made less absurd in lieu of his teammate Cole Mayo being -61. While many scoff at +/- as a troublesome stat, for some reason people who make decisions use it religiously. Sokolov’s draft stock tanked as the minuses piled up. The “lazy Russian” and “won’t backcheck” narratives began to inevitably seep their way into the discussion. While I won’t pretend Sokolov is Patrice Bergeron, it seems a tad unfair that playing on a terrible defensive team means he himself is the worst defensive forward since Alex Semin.

This was not the season people expected from Sokolov and when expectations aren’t met, people get punished. Hence why he slipped all the way to the end of the draft. This happens a lot more often than you might think. In my opinion the Wild wisely gambled with a throwaway pick on a player who at least had shown he can shoot the puck if nothing else.


The next season would see a return to form for Sokolov. The Wolves were not a great team that year, but they managed to squeak into the playoffs. Largely based on the play of Sokolov. His 48 goals were a team best and 18 more than MacAuley Carson. He had more Even Strength Goals than the next highest scoring teammate had Total Goals. He finished second in the OHL in goal scoring and lead in Power Play Goals (17). Yet he still ended up with a fantastic -32. Incremental steps right?

He then proved a lot of doubters wrong in the playoffs. He was the only Wolves player to show any kind of heart. He had 6 goals and 9 points in 6 games. Taking 40 shots. Levin and Capobianco were the next highest shot takers at 21 each. Sokolov was their entire offense.


2017-2018 rolls around and the Wolves…well they stink again. The forward core is poor and David Levin took steps back in his development. The defense is even worse with some of their veteran overagers now gone. Plus the goaltending is not quite up to snuff. Despite this, Sokolov would finish second in team scoring and goals with 38 points and 20 goals! In just 35 games because he was traded to the Barrie Colts.

This is where things get good. Mr. Minus himself joins a line with expected 2nd overall pick Andrei Svechnikov and overager Aaron Luchuk to form the most dangerous line in the OHL. In the 29 games with Barrie, Sokolov would score 30 goals and add 58 points. Giving him 50 on the year to lead the league. He also topped the Power Play Goal list again. One can only imagine what his goal totals would be had he played in Barrie all year. He was miraculously a +15. Which is odd because I was assured he was terrible defensively, hence all the minuses. It’s almost like being on a dreadful team will make you a minus player. Funny how that works. He took his torrid scoring streak with him into the playoffs. He scored 8 goals in 12 games. The Colts were bounced by the beefed up Frontenacs. Unfourtunately for him that signals the end of his season as the Iowa Wild did not make the playoffs.


This past year has seen Sokolov’s value as a prospect skyrocket. His natural goal scoring abilities are extremely impressive. His offensive game has been shown to involve a lot more than just one touch scoring when playing with other talent. In short, this was a season more on par with his 15/16 year old year where he was so impressive. Does this make Sokolov a “top” prospect? I would say no. He recently turned 20 and I can think of many examples of players “breaking out” at that stage of their junior career. Some go on to be good players like Tyler Johnson, Ryan Callahan or Boone Jenner. Three different types of players, but all three “breaking” out at the same time. Others go the way of your Myles Bell’s or Matej Stransky’s. Who? Exactly. Next season will be a big year for Sokolov in the AHL. If he continues his upward trajectory the Wild could have a very dangerous sniper in their midst.



Thanks for reading. Enjoy Game 7 tonight everyone.
Join the Discussion: » 37 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Adam French
» NHL Thoughts : Russian Tides Were Up All Sides
» 2022 Draft Class : Star Studded Draft
» The Toronto Maple Leafs: A Team of Odds and Ends
» Hockey Thoughts
» The Prospect Blog: Byfield Looms Large Over Rossi