The Minnesota Wild have added another incredibly skilled prospect to the fold, signing Dmitry Sokolov to a three-year entry-level contract. Sokolov was recently eliminated from the OHL playoffs, likely ending what was a very interesting junior career.
Selected in the seventh round of the 2016 draft, Sokolov was a Russian import from the Sudbury Wolves who had several red flags in his profile. Though he showed incredible goal scoring ability, registering 30 in his first season in the OHL, there were questions about his conditioning and whether he’d return to the KHL in the coming years. One of those questions seems to have been answered by the signing of this contract, but the other is still something to keep an eye on.
This season was an outstanding one for Sokolov, who was off to a fine start for Sudbury before a midseason trade took him to the Barrie Colts. There, playing with some of the most talented forwards in the OHL, he exploded for 30 goals and 58 points in just 29 games down the stretch. His 50 goal season tied him for first in the entire league with teammate (also acquired midseason) Aaron Luchuk, and his 96 points put him fifth in league scoring.
Despite that, there are still some that believe he will struggle at the next level. The 6’0″ 210-lbs winger is still plagued by conditioning questions, and sometimes lacks consistency in the defensive end. His scoring talent comes about as naturally as anyone in his age class though, and if he’s committed to improving there’s no reason to think he can’t produce at the AHL level.