Good news for the Flyers as latest development brightens their immediate future

Maksim Sokolovskii mauled Oliver Bonk in a simple keep-away drill, and that pretty much sums up why Philadelphia is so excited about its newest defense prospect.

"It's terrible," Bonk said bluntly about facing off against the 6-foot-7, 240-pound blueliner at development camp.

Both players came up through the London Knights program, but that connection didn't earn Bonk any mercy.

"He mauled me in practice," Bonk said, describing a drill where Sokolovskii held the puck for nearly a minute and a half straight. "I'm trying to chase this guy around, he's just arms out, giant, I can't do anything."

Bonk adjusted the next rep and held his own a little better, but the impression stuck.

"He's going to be a really good player," Bonk said.

Philadelphia selected Sokolovskii 27th overall this year after trading back, passing on other defensemen like Ryan Lin, Juho Piiparinen, and Tommy Bleyl to get him. He turned 18 just last month.

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He was the eighth defenseman actually taken in this year's draft, and the Flyers view him as a genuine long-term project worth the wait.

Why the Flyers trust London's development track record

Assistant GM Brent Flahr didn't hide how raw the tools still are.

"You watch him in drills, some of the things he can do for a player that size, at his age, are impressive," Flahr said. "His physical tools are immense. For us, it's just the tip of the iceberg."

Philadelphia already has real trust in London's development program, having drafted both Bonk in the first round and Denver Barkey in the third round back in 2023.

Barkey, who stands about nine inches shorter than Sokolovskii, got a firsthand look at the size gap during camp.

"He's quite big, especially beside me," Barkey said. "I think he has got a lot of raw skill. At that age, it's pretty impressive and I think he has got a really high ceiling."

Sokolovskii already improved his skating during his first season with the Knights, something Bonk credited directly to the program itself.

"Whatever you need to work on, they're going to find your weaknesses and try to make them your strengths," Bonk said.

He's committed to play at Maine starting in 2027-28, giving Philadelphia real time to let his game round out before he's anywhere close to pro hockey.

Mobility remains the real question mark. Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong noticed some rough edges during power skating drills, but came away impressed elsewhere.

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"There were some parts that got exposed. But then we went over there and he was doing the puck retrievals and his deception with his feet and moving, I was actually surprised of how fluid he was with that at his size," Armstrong said. "I think he has a lot of upside to him."

Nobody in Philadelphia is expecting Sokolovskii to help anytime soon. But between the size, the flashes of mobility, and a development program the Flyers already trust deeply, there's real reason to be patient with this one.