The Philadelphia Flyers took a big step in the right direction this season. This is because they not only made the playoffs but also defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. Now, the Flyers will be looking to build on their momentum by having a strong 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The Flyers currently still have their first-round pick for this year and will be looking to land a good prospect with it. The Athletic's Scott Wheeler recently predicted [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7333541/2026/06/09/nhl-draft-mock-prospects-list-2026/] that the Flyers would select defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii with their first-round pick this year. Sokolovskii is one of the most fascinating prospects heading into the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. At 6-foot-8 and 238 pounds, he is a hulking shutdown defenseman who would be an interesting youngster for the Flyers to add to their system. Sokolovskii spent this season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights and made an impact with his defense-first style of play. In 44 games with the OHL club on the year, he recorded two goals, six assists, eight points, 49 penalty minutes, and a plus-10 rating. If the Flyers selected Sokolovskii with their first-round pick, he would give them a big left-shot defenseman with plenty of size in their system. This would not be a bad thing for the Flyers, as he has the tools to become a solid NHL blueliner later down the road. However, with NHL teams always valuing big defensemen, there is certainly a chance that he won't be available when the Flyers are on the clock.
