IRVINE, Calif. -- The Anaheim Ducks may have entered the 2026 NHL Draft without a first-round pick, but they were more than willing to acquire one in order to select the right player.
That happened when forward Nikita Klepov was still on the board as the first round neared the midway point. So Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek decided to make a splash and trade forward Mason McTavish to the St. Louis Blues for the No. 15 pick, which they used to select Klepov, as well as the No. 29 pick.
"When Klepov was there, that really helped us make the decision," Verbeek said at the time. "If he wasn't there, we wouldn't have made the deal.
Klepov, who was No. 8 on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings of North American skaters, had only met with the Ducks once prior to the draft, but when they called his name on June 26, one day before his 18th birthday, he felt as if he landed in a prime spot.
"I didn't think I was going to get picked by them, but I'm really happy the way it worked out," Klepov said at the team's development camp, which was held from June 29 to July 1 in Irvine.
“It’s obviously nice to realize (that Anaheim traded up to select him), but you have to put in a lot of work to get here. It’s a great organization with a lot of good players in here, and you’ve got to do everything that you can and work really hard for the opportunity to get here.”
Klepov, who signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ducks on Saturday, led the Ontario Hockey League with 97 points (37 goals, 60 assists) in 67 games for Saginaw last season, shattering the franchise's record for points by a rookie, which was held by Cole Perfetti (74 points in 2018-19).
Verbeek said he was impressed with Klepov's goal-scoring and playmaking abilities, something he generates through a combination of skill and unpredictability.
"We just like his compete level," Verbeek said. "We like the drive that he has to score goals, and right now, it's just a matter of getting him stronger (6-foot, 180 pounds), because there's a lot of really top-notch athletic ability with this player as well.