- Ducks GM Pat Verbeek says Nikita Klepov can fast-track to the NHL
- Anaheim traded Mason McTavish to move up and draft Klepov 15th overall
- Read below for Klepov’s OHL scoring title and where he stacks up with Patrick Kane
The Anaheim Ducks think they grabbed a player who won’t need long in the minors.
General manager Pat Verbeek said 18-year-old forward Nikita Klepov has a chance to fast-track to the NHL, and Anaheim gave up plenty to get him. The Ducks traded forward Mason McTavish to the St. Louis Blues to jump into the middle of the first round, then used the No. 15 pick on Klepov.
Verbeek made clear the whole deal hinged on one name still being on the board.
“When Klepov was there, that really helped us make the decision,” Verbeek said. “If he wasn’t there, we wouldn’t have made the deal.”
Here’s the moment Klepov became a Duck:
Moving McTavish was the cost. Anaheim sent the center to St. Louis for the No. 15 and No. 29 picks, betting the board would fall its way. It did.
Klepov earned the buzz. He led the OHL in scoring last season with 97 points (37 goals, 60 assists) in 67 games for the Saginaw Spirit, shattering the franchise rookie record Cole Perfetti set in 2018-19.
He also landed in rare company. Klepov is just the third player in OHL history to win Rookie of the Year and lead the league in points in the same season, after Patrick Kane in 2006-07 and Jack Valiquette in 1973-74.
Watch what he did in Saginaw:
Klepov spoke at Anaheim’s development camp in Irvine and admitted he didn’t see the Ducks coming.
“I didn’t think I was going to get picked by them, but I’m really happy the way it worked out,” Klepov said. Anaheim called his name June 26, one day before his 18th birthday.
Verbeek likes the motor as much as the hands. He praised Klepov’s compete level and his drive to score, and said the next step is adding strength to a 6-foot, 180-pound frame. Fill that out, and Anaheim won’t be waiting long.
