It was a muted announcement, first from the Sudbury Wolves’ Twitter account Saturday evening, then a brief post to their website Sunday morning.

But there’s no downplaying the significance of Dmitry Sokolov’s commitment to play for the local OHL outfit in 2015-16.

Sokolov, a 17-year-old scoring star from Omsk, Russia, was Sudbury’s first-round pick, third overall, in the CHL Import Draft late last month and many have projected the 6-foot-2, 212-pounder will be a top-10, or even a top-five pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

A goal scorer’s goal scorer, the big winger scored 13 times in 29 games with Omskie Tastreby of the MHL junior league this past season, and had better than a point per game in under-17 and under-18 international competition – the kind of offence that will be welcome in Sudbury, where the last-place pack potted only 149 goals in 68 games last season.

"The Sudbury Wolves are pleased to announce that Russian forward Dmitry Sokolov has made a commitment to the wolfpack and will play for the Wolves this upcoming season," read the Wolves’ announcement, posted with a photo of Sokolov, alongside team owner Mark Burgess, head coach Dave Matsos and former players including NHLers Derek Mackenzie, Nick Foligno and Marcus Foligno.

Sokolov may be well on his way to joining them among the professional ranks, provided he transitions well to the North American game. Indeed, he’s already ranked among the top prospects for next year’s NHL draft and was named on the league’s Central Scouting Futures list, along with Wolves netminder Troy Timpano.

Independent scouts are high on Sokolov, too. Mark Seidel of North American Central Scouting rated the Russian fifth overall, behind only such highly touted prospects as Auston Matthews, Jakob Chychrun, Max Jones and Jesse Puljujarvi.

"The kid is one of the premier players in all of junior hockey and will be a high pick in next year’s NHL draft," Seidel said. "He has all of the tools to become a star in the Ontario Hockey League and, ultimately, the NHL."

Assuming Czech forward Pavel Jenys returns to the Wolves and the Minnesota Wild doesn’t turn pro with that team’s AHL affiliate in Iowa, Sudbury may have one of the league’s better import combos in 2015-16.

CHL teams can carry only two import players.

ben.leeson@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @ben_leeson