New York Rangers Draft Radar April Scouting Report

The NCAA hockey season has come and gone, the CHL playoffs are underway, and the New York Rangers' attention to this year's draft class amplifies as their season is officially over. Welcome back to the Draft Radar Scouting Report as the April edition takes a deeper dive on another young NCAA standout, the OHL rookie of the year, and another top defenseman who could sneak his way into top-ten conversations.

Before we dive into Nikita Klepov, Oscar Hemming, and Daxon Rudolph, let's follow up on last month's prospects.

J.P. Hurlbert: Hurlbert did crack the postseason in the WHL but his Kamloops Blazers were swept by the Kelowna Rockets in the opening round. Hurlbert finishes the year with three playoff points (one goal, two assists) in addition to his 97 points in 68 games played in the regular season. He's still projected to go later in the first round, which means he could be available to the Rangers with their second selection in round one. In the event he is, the Rangers should be all over it.

Ilia Morozov: Miami University's season was over when we covered Morozov last month so there haven't been many updates with him. He has, however, jumped into the top ten for NHL's Central Scouting list of North American skaters.

Chase Reid: I wasn't very high on Reid when I wrote about him last month. I'm not saying I'm having a change of heart, but I am beginning to see the case for him. The Greyhounds were eliminated in the second round of the OHL playoffs by the Kitchener Rangers and Reid finished the playoffs with six points (three goals and assists) in ten games played. Between him and Keaton Verhoeff, he might be the more interesting choice. However, I still don't see the Rangers needing to draft a right-handed defenseman—especially after hearing what Chris Drury had to say about Braden Schneider's future.

Nikita Klepov - Right Wing, Saginaw, Spirit, OHL 

The Rangers really don’t need anymore help on the wing, but if they end up with an extra pick or if they feel he’s the best player available, Nikita Klepov is a name worth consideration. The OHL Rookie of the Year, Klepov is a player who has many exciting assets, including a brilliant hockey IQ, fantastic vision, and the ability to drive play. At 6-0, 180 pounds, he’s incredibly patient with the puck, which results in him being a dynamic playmaker. He commands the rush when the puck is on his stick and sets up his teammates, as well as can score himself. 

Klepov led the Saginaw Spirit in points this season, collecting 37 goals and 60 assists for 97 points in 67 games played. Not only was he the point leader for the Spirit, Klepov led the entire OHL in points this season, finishing just three points ahead of Rangers prospect Nathan Aspinall. This was a massive jump in point production as Klepov had just 31 points in 59 games last season (12 goals, 19 assists). In addition to his efforts with Saginaw, Klepov was a standout at the Hlinka Gretzky Tournament as he helped Team USA win gold with a goal and five assists. 

The Spirit drew the short straw in round one of the OHL playoffs, having to face the Kitchener Rangers, who have progressed to the Conference Final where they’ll face Liam Greentree’s Windsor Spitfires. While Saginaw was swept by Kitchener, Klepov still managed to stand out with a goal and four assists in those four games played. 

Klepov’s hands and playmaking abilities were on full display in Game 3 of the series, as he picked off the puck along the boards in the offensive zone, weaved his way around three Kitchener defenders to set up his teammate for a one-timer goal. His poise and patience with the puck is just so evident when he’s navigating the offensive zone. His goal came early in the third period, as he was set up for a one-timer at the face-off circle that he fired straight to the back of the net to give his team a 3-2 lead. All throughout the night, Klepov was calling for and taking that shot as he has been a force to be reckoned with on Saginaw’s power play all season long (13 of his 37 goals this season came on the man advantage). 

While getting swept in the first round is never how you want your season to end, Klepov had a brilliant year in the OHL. The Deerfield Beach, Fla.-native had one five-point outing, four four-point games, eight three-point outings, and several other multi-point nights for Saginaw this season. The five-point night came in early October as the Spirit came out on top against Owen Sound Attack, 7-5. 

Klepov was setting up his teammates all night but really took off in the third period. After kicking it off with another assist, Klepov converted on a rebound off a shot from the point for his first goal of the night midway through the third. His second goal came with roughly four minutes left in the game as he deked his way through the slot to beat the Attack’s netminder on a brilliant individual effort to extend the lead once more. 

Klepov is projected by Tankathon to go 20th overall. NHL.com had him ranked 16th on their Central Scouting list of North American Skaters, but according to their final selections, Klepov jumped to eighth on the list. This is a player who hasn’t been highly ranked most of the season, but after winning OHL Rookie of the Year, leading the league in points, committing to Michigan State, and standing out in all levels of competition, Klepov is going to be one of the more interesting names to keep an ear out for on draft day.