Flyers development camp ended Friday in Voorhees, but one of the biggest takeaways came from a simple practice drill and a blunt assessment from Oliver Bonk.
The newest name drawing attention in the Flyers’ prospect pool is Maksim Sokolovskii, the 6-foot-8 defenseman Philadelphia selected 27th overall last week. The 17-year-old has already stood out at camp for the way he skates, carries the puck and handles himself defensively, and that early look has started to soften some of the reaction around the pick.
Bonk, who is fighting for a spot with the Flyers when training camp opens this fall, had plenty to say about what it was like going against Sokolovskii in drills. The two are both London Knights, and Bonk made it clear the matchup was no fun at all.
“Yeah, it’s terrible. He mauled me in practice.
We were doing little keep-away drills and I wasn’t ready for it. The first one, I just came up and like ‘Okay, whatever this is like a warm-up drill’.
And I go; and he just mauls me. He takes the puck away and has the puck from me for like a minute 30 I’m trying to chase this guy around, arms out,” Bonk said via The Inquirer’s Jackie Spiegel.
“I got ready and the next one I kind of got back at him a little bit, protected the puck a little bit better. But yeah, he’s going to be a really good player.”
That’s not coming from a small player, either. Bonk is listed at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, but even he found himself overwhelmed by a prospect who is still not legally an adult.
That size and reach are a big part of why Philadelphia used a first-round pick on Sokolovskii. He looks like the kind of defender who can make life miserable for opposing forwards, swallowing up space and taking away scoring chances with his length and stick work.
Bonk is also in a good position to understand where Sokolovskii is headed next. After being drafted, Bonk returned to the London Knights and spent two full seasons there, winning a Memorial Cup with the group. Sokolovskii is set to follow a similar route, spending at least one more season in London under Dale Hunter before moving on, with a commitment to the University of Maine for the 2027-28 season.
For now, though, the image that sticks is Bonk getting “mauled” in a camp drill - and Sokolovskii looking every bit like a player who is going to be a problem for a long time.
In Other News...
Flyers Add Another Mystery Forward With Something To Prove
The Flyers added another low-risk forward option to the mix, signing Nolan Foote to a one-year, two-way contract as they continue to sort through the edges of their roster. The deal gives Philadelphia a depth piece with a clear path to compete in training camp, and it comes with the kind of modest financial commitment teams often use when they want to see whether a player can earn a longer look.
Foote, who previously played in the Florida Panthers organization, will be paid at the league minimum of $850,000 in the NHL and $300,000 in the AHL. For the Flyers, the real question is whether he can push his way into the conversation for a roster spot or end up starting the season in Lehigh Valley, which is where these kinds of signings often begin to reveal their value. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers New Czech Goalie Addition Comes With One Surprising Twist
The Flyers added another intriguing name to their goaltending pipeline when they used a second-round pick on Martin Psohlavec, a Czech netminder who has already gotten a taste of the organization at Development Camp. The young goalie has plenty to like on paper, too, after turning in a strong run in the Czech Under-20 League and showing enough promise to be part of a prospect group that is starting to draw some attention in Philadelphia.
Psohlavec also arrives with a built-in connection that makes the fit a little more interesting. He said he is excited to be in the same system as fellow Czech goalies Dan Vladar and Marek Sklenicka, and he has singled out Vladar as a role model as he begins to map out his own path. For a Flyers team always looking to build depth in goal, the nationality link is a small but notable twist, and it adds another layer to watch as Psohlavec settles in and starts talking with the veterans who can help shape what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Porter Martone Is Sending A Clear Message At Flyers Camp
Development camp is giving the Flyers a first real look at prospects in different stages of the pipeline, and Porter Martone is right in the middle of it. The young forward arrives with more recent NHL experience than most of the players around him, but his summer has still been a balancing act after a long season that stretched through international play and playoffs. He spent about a week and a half away from the gym after the World Championships before ramping back up, and this week marks his first time back on the ice after stopping play roughly three weeks ago.
The Flyers are easing him in with power-skating work and checking in on how he feels as camp goes on, which fits the broader point of this week: development is not always linear, even for a player already trying to push toward the next level. Martone has made it clear he wants to keep improving and put himself in position for the season ahead, and the way the Flyers handle his workload now should say plenty about where he stands in their plans. [Read more 🡒]