Spirit Forward, Anaheim Ducks Top Draft Pick Nikita Klepov Signs Surprising ELC
While it was expected he was headed to Michigan State next year, Nikita Klepov will instead try and make the Ducks out of camp this fall.
The plan for OHL leading scorer Nikita Klepov was always to head to Michigan State University of the NCAA for the 2026-27 campaign following his draft year.
However, that's not the case anymore. The Anaheim Ducks announced the signing of the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft to a three-year, entry-level contract which will forgo his NCAA eligibility.
Now, what are the odds of Klepov returning to the OHL for his post-draft season? On the surface, the chances might seem lower than you'd think.
In an interview with NHL.com earlier this week, Ducks GM Pat Verbeek suggested that the U.S./Russia dual-national forward could be "fast-tracked to the NHL" and his mix of skill and athletic profiles are enticing for the team in both the near and distant futures.
Now, it's very uncommon for players outside of the top-five of any draft to make the jump to the NHL immediately, but it's not completely out of the realm of possibility.
Some recent examples of this are Ben Kindel (11th overall) in Pittsburgh just this past season, Cole Sillinger (12th overall) in Columbus in 2021, and Jakob Chychrun (16th overall) to Arizona in 2016, a case which OHL fans will be familiar with.
So, it's pretty clear Klepov will be given the full runway to make Anaheim out of training camp this fall. With offseason surgery to Troy Terry holding him out until mid-November at the earliest, there's a spot open on the wing in the Ducks' top-six.
Now, with that being said, it's either the NHL or OHL for Klepov next season, and it's far from a guarantee he'll stick out enough at training camp to make the team full-time.
The player the Ducks gave up to acquire the Klepov pick in the draft, Mason McTavish, was in a similar situation directly following his draft year.
While this was before the NCAA was an option for CHLers, he was given a nine-game NHL trial in 2021-22, and then played three games in an AHL conditioning stint with the San Diego Gulls before returning to the Peterborough Petes, then traded to the Hamilton Bulldogs later that season.
McTavish also played in the 2022 Olympics for Canada, a tournament which NHL players did not take part in.
That all being said, Klepov's situation might end up being somewhat similar to McTavish's in the end.
While the new CHL/NHL/AHL agreement is a bit murky with the current agreement starting this season, a source told The Hockey News Klepov's options for full-time play next season are either Anaheim or Saginaw.
Because he was mostly developed in North America, he does not apply to any exemptions that let Europeans play in the AHL in their 18-year old season. And, since he's not entering his 19-year-old season (his 18th birthday was actually the day after he was drafted), he doesn't have the option to be one of the new 19-year-old CHL/AHL exemptions either.
So, at the moment, it appears the Deerfield Beach, FL, native will go as far as he can with the Ducks this fall, and have the Spirit as a fall-back option in case he needs a bit more development.
Nikita Klepov will have a chance to fast-track to the NHL next season with the Anaheim Ducks. (Photo: Natalie Shaver/OHL Images)Klepov is coming off of a monster season with Saginaw, scoring 97 (37+60) points in 67 games en route to a scoring title and OHL rookie of the year.
He's a skilled forward who has a ton of deception in his game, and is very active with and without the puck. For someone who's a skilled offensive forward, he has a fair bit of defensive acumen to his game as well, thanks to his fantastic motor.
The biggest question around Klepov is his ability to translate his offence to the NHL, as a lot of his points came on a very strong Spirit power play.
The Ducks specifically traded up to draft him at pick 15, so it's safe to say there was a ton of interest in him around the NHL.
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