Nikita Klepov Emerges as First‑Round NHL Draft Candidate After OHL Scoring Title
Nikita Klepov, the OHL’s 2025–26 scoring champion, has vaulted into first‑round NHL Draft discussions after a 97‑point rookie season with the Saginaw Spirit and rising scouting interest.
Early connection leads to North American move
Before the pandemic, Alex Vasko first noticed Nikita Klepov at a spring tournament in Toronto, a meeting that ultimately influenced Klepov’s pathway back to North America. Klepov, born in the Miami area in June 2008 but raised in Russia, kept ties to Russian and U.S. peers that smoothed his transition. Vasko’s experience recruiting Russian players for Pennsylvania programs helped Klepov settle into U.S. junior hockey and eventually join the Saginaw Spirit.
Rapid adaptation and USHL foundation
Klepov spent the 2024–25 season with the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL, where he posted 12 goals and 19 assists in 51 games and gained valuable North American experience. The USHL stint gave him a platform to adjust to smaller ice and a more physical style, easing his move to the OHL. Scouts noted that the extra season of acclimation compressed what often takes two years into one highly productive campaign.
Breakout season with the Saginaw Spirit
In his first OHL season, Klepov recorded 37 goals and 60 assists in 67 games to total 97 points, leading the league and earning OHL rookie of the year honors. He became just the third CHL rookie since 2000 to top a member league in scoring, joining the company of Patrick Kane and Sidney Crosby. Klepov achieved those numbers playing on a young Saginaw roster that secured the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, often facing opponents’ top defensive pairings.
Scouting praise for playmaking and hockey IQ
Saginaw general manager Dave Drinkill highlighted Klepov’s vision and ability to create plays from tight situations as his standout traits, noting that he repeatedly produced against teams’ best defenders. Alex Vasko and other coaches point to a relentless work ethic, with Klepov known for extra practice sessions on stickhandling and shooting. Evaluators describe his hands, puck retention and capacity to find the middle of the ice as elements that raise his upside in an NHL projection.
Draft status, rankings and eligibility questions
Klepov enters the draft cycle as a projected first‑round candidate, drawing attention after finishing among top prospects in multiple rankings and being listed in Sportsnet’s final top‑25. He was selected 35th overall in the 2025 CHL Import Draft after his USHL season, and NCAA rule changes gave him a clear choice between Michigan State and continued CHL development. Klepov is also monitoring international eligibility developments related to Russia, which could affect his availability for some events.
Choices ahead: NCAA commitment versus return to Saginaw
Klepov remains committed to Michigan State but has not ruled out returning to Saginaw for another OHL season, weighing immediate development needs against collegiate options. Drinkill acknowledged there was consideration of both pathways and said the Spirit’s coaching staff had confidence in Klepov’s ability to handle top‑line minutes. For NHL teams, the decision will factor into timelines for his pro transition and the level of oversight required by development staffs.
Klepov’s trajectory mirrors parts of other Russian players who came to North America as teenagers, and his rapid production has put him on teams’ radar as a potentially high‑impact winger. He will be 18 on June 27, which coincides with Day 2 of the NHL Draft, and arrives in Buffalo for draft events with confidence rather than anxiety. As clubs finalize their boards, Klepov’s combination of creativity, scoring touch and proven adjustment to North American hockey has cemented his status as a notable first‑round prospect.
"I just want to play in the NHL," Klepov said, underscoring that the timing and location of his selection matter less than the opportunity to reach the next level of the game.
