MISSISSAUGA, ONT. — It wasn’t that long ago that Dmitry Sokolov was on the perfect course, one destined for the NHL and the top of the 2016 NHL Draft class.
It was the summer of 2015, he was fresh off winning gold with Russia at the under-17 worlds where he registered nine points in six games, finished third in tournament scoring to Clayton Keller and Max Jones, and was named to its all-star team. Around that time, he was also the Sudbury Wolves’ third overall pick in the CHL Import Draft. After torching Russia’s under-17 ranks with 56 points in 28 games as a 15-year-old, he played as a 16-year-old in the MHL, the country’s top junior league.