The Ducks today selected right winger Nikita Klepov with the 15th overall pick of the NHL Draft. The 17-year-old Klepov (who turns 18 tomorrow), led the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in scoring in 2025-26 as a rookie with the Saginaw Spirit, recording 37-60=97 points with a +9 rating in 67 games to earn the OHL’s Rookie of the Year award and was named to the OHL First All-Star Team.
Earlier in the day, the Ducks acquired the 15th and 29th overall picks from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Mason McTavish.
Klepov became third player in OHL history to win both rookie of the year lead the league in points in the same season, joining Patrick Kane (2006-07) and Jack Valiquette (1973-74). He is also the first American-born player to win the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the OHL’s top scorer since Jason Robertson in 2018-19
The 6-0, 186-pound forward led all OHL rookies in points, goals and assists last season, and set a Saginaw record for the most assists and points in a season by a rookie. He also led Saginaw with 1-4=5 points in four OHL Playoff contests last season.
Klepov spent the majority of the 2024-25 season with the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL, earning 12-19=31 points and three game-winning goals in 59 contests. He became the third Sioux City rookie since 2002-03 to score three game-winning goals in a season.
The Deerfield Beach, Fla. native led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring the championship-clinching goal while scoring 1-5=6 points in five tournament games. Klepov is committed to Michigan State University for the 2026-27 season.
