With the draft lottery now complete, The Athletic's Corey Pronman recently released his latest 2026 NHL mock draft [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7263650/2026/05/11/nhl-mock-draft-2026-first-round-mckenna-reid/]. For the Carolina Hurricanes, Pronman predicted that they would select left winger Nikita Klepov in the first round. If the Hurricanes landed Klepov with their first-round pick, he would give them another very fascinating and skilled prospect to work with. The 17-year-old forward just had a fantastic first season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Saginaw Spirit, as he recorded 37 goals and led the league with 97 points. Due to this, he took home the Eddie Powers Trophy and was named the OHL's Rookie of the year. With this, there is no question that Klepov would be an exciting prospect for the Hurricanes to add to their system at the draft. The potential for him to become a top-six winger in the NHL is there, and he certainly showed this during his first season in the OHL this year. Yet, with Klepov having such a strong season in the OHL, there is certainly a chance that he won't be available once the Hurricanes are on the clock. However, if he is, the Canes would be wise to consider selecting him. It will be interesting to see if he ends up being their first-round pick from here.
