High-scoring Wild prospect Sokolov adjusting to AHL

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Rather than focus exclusively on the Minnesota Wild’s top prospects, we’re taking a look at the best players from across the State of Hockey every week.

From college to the pros, check out our recap of all the week’s events in Minnesota hockey, as we check in with college players, Wild prospects and State of Hockey alums.

Let’s take a look at our three stars of the week in the latest edition of the State of Hockey Tracker.

Note: the Tracker will be taking next week off for the holidays but will return in the new year.



 

FIRST STAR

Dmitry Sokolov, F, Iowa Wild (AHL)

The goals are starting to come for Sokolov, who has three goals and four points in his last four games. He now ranks third on the Iowa Wild with eight goals -- tied with Luke Kunin (now with the big club) and Gerald Mayhew -- in 20 games, and showed off some spectacular moves in a shootout loss to San Antonio on Friday. Once considered a top prospect, Sokolov fell to the seventh round back in 2016 (reportedly due to concerns over his conditioning) when the Wild finally took a chance on him. Sokolov lit up the OHL after the draft, leading the league with 50 goals in 64 games last season, and had 128 goals in 196 career games. Sokolov was held scoreless in his first seven games with Iowa this season, but has six goals in his last 10.

 

SECOND STAR

Justin Baudry, D, Bemidji State (WCHA)

Baudry led all defensemen nationwide last weekend with just a handful of teams in action, registering three points Friday in a split with Alaska Anchorage. The 22-year-old senior scored his first goal of the season and had two assists Friday to lead the Beavers to a 5-1 win en route to WCHA Defenseman of the Week honors.

 

THIRD STAR

Damien Giroux, F, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

Giroux scored twice to help Saginaw to a 6-2 win over Windsor on Friday, adding an assist for his first multi-point game since Nov. 4. A fifth-round pick of the Wild in 2018, the Spirit captain hadn't scored multiple goals in a game since registering a hat trick back on Oct. 13, but has five points in his last four games.

 

AROUND THE RINK

-- Bemidji's Aaron Miller tied for the national lead last weekend with four points, racking up two goals and two assists in that win over Alaska Anchorage.

-- Wild prospect Ivan Lodnia, a third-round pick in 2017, had two goals last Thursday to help the OHL's Niagara IceDogs to a win over Hamilton, and scored again Friday in a loss to London.

-- The Minnesota Whitecaps went with a local talent Wednesday with the first draft pick in the team's history, selecting Gophers forward Kelly Pannek with the No. 4 overall pick. The Gophers' captain and a native of Plymouth, Minn., Pannek has 11 goals and eight assists in 18 games so far this season.

-- The Whitecaps landed another Minnesota native, Badgers forward Sophia Shaver (Wayzata, Minn.) in the second round. Minnesota also selected defenseman Lauren Boyle (Ohio State), Grace Bizal (Boston College and Karlie Lund (Princeton).

-- Sportsnet has a 24-minute feature on Burnsville, Minn., native and Vancouver Canucks star Brock Boeser that documents his career to this point.