Dmitry Sokolov

January 2023 – Sokolov was a former 7th-round pick for the Minnesota Wild back in 2016. After spending several years in the AHL for the Iowa Wild, it appears that Sokolov no longer has ties to the organization. He now plays in the KHL for Dynamo Minsk where he has established himself as a reliable bottom 6 forward. This season he has put up 13 points in 35 games. At 24 years old, Sokolov most likely won’t be coming back to North America to play and if he does, it appears that it will only be at the AHL level. Nathan Leblanc

September 2019 – Dmitri Sokolov has been assigned to the AHL’s Iowa Wild. He’ll need to see significant growth in his foot speed and defensive game if he wants to contend for an NHL job in the near future. Sam Happi

March 2019 – The rookie Sokolov has enjoyed a decent season with the Iowa Wild. His shot has been able to play up to the AHL and is more than likely ready for the NHL. The rest of his game however needs work. As a raw player he tends to be strong on the puck but lapses in judgement have led to inconsistencies in his game. His defensive play has shown minor improvements under head coach Tim Army, as he has forced Sokolov to make an effort in the defensive end. He skates well but lacks high end speed. For the range of short comings that Sokolov has, having the ability to change a game with one shot is a valuable tool. A long term project, his arrival is at least two seasons away but he projects as a middle six winger with power play upside. Tony Ferrari

November 2018 – The Wild signed Sokolov to a three-year entry level contract in May and he has transitioned nicely with the Iowa Wild after sharing the goal scoring title in the OHL last year. Sokolov has played much of his time on Iowa’s third line when in the lineup and has created three goals, six assists, and nine points in 11 games. Coach Tim Army said, “Where he is now, I think he will be amazing at 23 or 24 years old.” I think Army’s observation is on point as Sokolov has overcome many adversities so far in his young career. He was a big draft faller due to red flags and poor conditioning. Sokolov was also struggling to learn English as well. Sokolov has continued to improve at every level and it may be early into his professional career, but he is a player to keep an eye on. If he can continue to work on his speed and conditioning he will eventually garner some looks in Iowa’s top six. If Sokolov’s current pace continues the goal scorer will be deserving of a place on your fantasy radar. Tyler Matson

April 2018 – The 2016 7th rounder has had an absolutely massive season, scoring 50 goals and 96 points split between Sudbury and Barrie in the OHL. Sokolov is a shooting machine with over 10 shots on goal per hour at even strength, and his 31 even strength goals was 2nd in the OHL behind undrafted Linus Nyman. Playing on a powerful Barrie team may play to his strengths, but he was arguably the best pure goal scorer in the OHL, and that should be enough to earn himself an ELC, and a spot with Iowa next year. A strong two-round playoff effort (15 points in 12 games) doesn’t hurt either. Will Scouch

February 2016 – Sokolov has had a massive goal-scorer’s campaign with 38 goals and 58 points in 48 OHL games thus far, for a 50+ goal pace on a mediocre Sudbury team. For all the goal scoring he’s doing, he’s still negative relative to his team in terms of GF%, and his goals are largely coming from medium and low danger areas, and just 28% of his shots are coming from that area, which is good for 99th in the league. Getting to the net to score is a skill that can be taught, but he had a similar issues last year, and stopping medium danger shots is one of the biggest changes between CHL and NHL level goaltending. With just six even strength primary assists all year, he may need to improve his passing game in Sudbury next year, but come winter 2018 we might be seeing Sokolov in Iowa, and from there it’s up to him. Will Scouch

October 2016 – Dimitry Sokolov has been sent back to the Sudbury Wolves. If he can improve on his alleged shortcomings with maturity this can be a savvy pick down the road for the Wild. A terrific gamble as far as seventh round selections go. Edric Joseph

July 2016 – Before the season began, Sokolov was drafted with the third overall pick at the CHL Import draft and was easily considered a top prospect for the 2016 draft. The fact that he was picked 196th overall tells you he has some serious red flags on his file. There is no question his shot is excellent and NHL worthy, but he is a selfish player, has conditioning issues, injury history and the list goes on. He is a boom or bust player that came with little risk in the seventh round. Draft accordingly in your league. Peter Harling

March 2016 – Sokolov was the third overall pick in the CHL import draft and finished his first season in North America with one of the worst teams in the CHL, the Sudbury Wolves. Coming over, Sokolov was considered to be a candidate for the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft given his size and skill. Sokolov arrived to the Sudbury camp allegedly out of shape and overweight and has had constant criticism all season regarding his conditioning and commitment levels. While most draft eligible players need to gain weight, Sokolov could stand to lose some. He has above average offensive skills in terms of his shooting skills, and vision, but does not share the puck as often as he should trying to do it all himself. That could be a condition of playing on a poor team, or having a poor attitude, or both. Skating skills are average, lacking a high end top gear, but has good balance and agility and is very shifty. Plays a heavy game well using his size to protect the puck and drive or crash the net.