Draft: The CH Could Land the OHL’s Rookie of the Year and Leading Scorer

Mathis Therrien
Draft: The CH Could Land the OHL’s Rookie of the Year and Leading Scorer
Credit: Capture d'écran YouTube

The first round of the 2026 National Hockey League Draft will take place on Friday night, and all eyes will be on what the Montreal Canadiens do with their 28th pick.

It's widely expected that Kent Hughes will trade this pick to strengthen the team immediately, but if the pick isn't traded, the Habs have some great options available.

In fact, several talented young players will still be available around that pick, whether on offense or defense.

However, there's one name that really stands out from the crowd, having had an exceptional season in the OHL, finishing as the league's leading scorer and winning the Rookie of the Year award.

I'm talking about Nikita Klepov, who, surprisingly, isn't ranked in the top 15 of the draft.

The American of Russian descent is immensely talented, and he has proven it this season by recording 97 points—including 37 goals—in 67 games, all at just 17 years old.

Klepov will turn 18 on June 27, making him one of the youngest players in the draft.

He's already a dominant force at such a young age, which makes him all the more intriguing, especially since he'll have plenty of time to develop and improve.

That said, Klepov doesn't really have any major weaknesses—aside from his defensive and physical play—but even so, there's no clear reason why he's ranked in the top 20 and not higher.

If he slips to the 28th pick, the Habs will have no choice but to take a chance on him, because talent like that doesn't come along often, and he'd be a great pick as a potential long-term top-6 winger.


In Brief

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