The Flyers selected six players during the 2026 NHL draft, — three defensemen, two goaltenders, and one forward.
After trading down from No. 21 to No. 27, the Flyers selected Maksim Sokolovskii, a 6-foot-7, 240-pound defenseman from the Ontario Hockey League, with their first-round pick.
The 17-year-old is not expected to play anytime soon in the NHL — he’s returning to the London Knights for the 2026-27 season before playing for the University of Maine the following year.
In the second round, the Flyers selected Western Hockey League defenseman Brek Liske with the 53rd overall pick. The team also added goalies Martin Psohlavec (62nd overall pick) and Marek Sklenička (120th overall pick).
And with their last two picks in the draft, the team selected Minnesota high school standout Kent Sauer (136th overall pick), a 6-foot-3, 202-pound center, and 17-year-old defenseman Max Laatikainen (213th overall pick), the youngest player in this year’s draft class.
Here’s how experts are grading the Flyers’ 2026 NHL draft class …
Inquirer: B
We start with our own Flyers writer Jackie Spiegel, who gave the team the highest grade among the outlets listed, although her grade was reflective of only the team’s first-round pick and not the team’s draft as a whole.
“Sokolovskii, who was born in Kazakhstan and grew up in Russia, brings meanness and physicality, and considers himself a shut-down defenseman who likes to hit,” Spiegel wrote. “Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek called him the hardest hitter in the draft class. Some have even compared his physicality and nastiness to that of fellow 6-7 blueliner Nikita Zadorov of the Boston Bruins.
“There’s definitely some boom-or-bust volatility with Sokolovskii, but the Flyers hope they have added a massive defenseman who plays playoff-style hockey, can kill plays defensively, and strike fear into opponents with his physicality.”
ESPN: C+
ESPN made its grades based on “what the teams did with their selections, how they maneuvered the draft board and how much value they gained or left on the board where they picked.”
The Flyers were among six teams to get a C+, ranking alongside the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, and Washington Capitals.
“Kudos to the Flyers for trading back, understanding they could be patient and accumulate pick value,” Rachel Kryshak wrote. “They left some value on the board in favor of drafting for organizational fit, but got decent value with the Brek Liske pick. Max Laatikainen is an excellent bet in the seventh round as the youngest player in the draft and a prospect with potential.
“At the end of the day, you need to draft high-end talent to compete. The Flyers passing on upside for players who fit the style their coach wants to play is risky business and certainly costs them some grading points.”
The outlet gave the San Jose Sharks the best grade (an A++), saying they had one of the best first rounds in draft history.
The Athletic: C
The Athletic handed out Cs to 14 different teams, including the Flyers.
“The Flyers went with big, toolsy defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii at 27, who moves incredibly well for his size and plays very hard, although he has no offence,” Corey Pronman wrote. “Defenseman Brek Liske and goalie Martin Psohlavec have chances to play in the NHL. I would guess one regular comes from this class for Philadelphia.”
The lowest grade handed out was a C-, and only five teams received a grade lower than the Flyers: the Vegas Golden Knights, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Capitals, the Oilers, and the Dallas Stars. The Toronto Maple Leafs topped the list with the only A+ grading.
Bleacher Report: C
Bleacher Report gave the Flyers a C for the team’s selection in the 2026 NHL draft grades.
“Maksim Sokolovskii (27th overall) is a 6′7″ defenseman who moves well. The appeal should already be obvious,” Adam Herman wrote. “And he does play as big as he appears. He’s probably the most physical defenseman in the draft. He knocks players over with the ease of a house of cards, and he has the mobility to do it consistently. If he makes it, and that seems fairly likely, there will be few players in the NHL like him.
“I just don’t see too much upside. He isn’t very good with the puck, and while his skating is good for his size, it’s not an active plus. I think the best-case scenario is a No. 4 defenseman who can’t be used in any offensive situations. The Flyers need upside, and Sokolovskii doesn’t provide it. I would have liked this a lot better if it had been 37th overall.”
The Lightning received the worst grade of the draft, getting the only D ranking. Meanwhile, the Sharks received the only A+ grade from the outlet.
Yahoo! Sports: C
Yahoo! Sports also gave the Flyers a C, saying that Sokolovskii may not have neither been the best available player at the time nor the best organizational fit.
“Standing at 6-foot-8, weighing 240 pounds, Sokolovskii has drawn comparisons to Nikita Zadorov as a physical, shutdown, defensive defenseman,” Eric Cruikshank wrote. “There’s definitely value in that, but with little upside, it would be a much more justifiable selection in the second round rather than the first. Adding a two-way blueliner in Brek Liske and one of the top goaltending prospects in Martin Psohlavec helps elevate their class, but it was certainly a rough start.”
The Sharks, Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Canucks top the list with an A+ grade.
Sporting News: C-
The Sporting News gave the Flyers the lowest grade on the list when it came to the team’s first-round pick.
“Maksim Sokolovskii is a giant, standing 6-foot-7. He’s a shut-down defender who understands how to use his size to separate his opponents from the puck,” Julian Gaudio wrote. “It does fill a need for the Philadelphia Flyers, as they need size on their blueline, but Sokolovskii is a project and is like five years away from becoming an NHL player.”
The Maple Leafs, Sharks, and Seattle Kraken top the Sporting News’ list with an A+ grade.
