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Anaheim Ducks Assign Nikita Klepov To Saginaw Spirit
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- Anaheim Ducks Assign Nikita Klepov To Saginaw Spirit
The Saginaw Spirit just got a major, major boost, as the Anaheim Ducks have announced they've sent Nikita Klepov back to the OHL after a stint in the NHL.
Klepov, the 15th overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft, got into four NHL games, going pointless. Last season, he led the OHL in points with 97 (37+60) in 67 games with the Spirit.
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Needless to say, this is a massive get for a team in Saginaw that never expected this in the first place. The expectation was for the 18-year-old to head to Michigan State University of the NCAA this season, but he surprisingly signed his ELC in Anaheim with the hopes of getting into NHL games, which ruled him out of NCAA eligibility.
Nikita Klepov with the Saginaw Spirit in the 2025-26 season. (Photo: Natalie Shaver.)
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek talked about his athletic profile and skill being fast-tracked to the NHL, particularly with some of the major losses Anaheim suffered up front this summer due to cap constraints.
But, Klepov was unable to really make a dent in the NHL as an 18-year-old, which is understandable as almost nobody drafted outside the top-five ever really does in their draft-plus-one season.
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Now, the USA/Russia dual national forward is back with the Spirit, and will add another menacing layer of offence to a team that already has some elite offensive talent.
The duo of Dima Zhilkin and Braidy Wassilyn sit tied for first in the OHL in points with 25 apiece through 14 games, and adding another elite talent in Klepov could catapult Saginaw into being arguably the most dangerous offensive group in the league.
However, the problems for Saginaw this year have been more on the other end. They struggle to keep the puck out of their own net, sitting closer to the bottom in goals against, with the worst penalty kill in the league.
The return of the uber-skilled winger may force GM Dave Drinkill to try and patch up those issues so his club can take a real run at things in an uber-competitive Western conference. For now, we'll just be excited to see a player of Klepov's calibre back in the OHL for the remainder of the season.
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