Mock draft buzz points to a high-scoring OHL winger for the Canadiens in 2026

The Montreal Canadiens are drawing fresh mock-draft attention as the 2026 NHL Entry Draft approaches. Yahoo Sports, citing the latest 2026 NHL mock draft from The Athletic, floated the idea that Montreal could land Nikita Klepov, an OHL scorer who posted 97 points in the junior ranks. While mock drafts are inherently speculative and not a forecast of actual outcomes, they can still reveal how prospect evaluators and writers think teams might shape their pipelines.

Klepov’s reported production is the centerpiece of the discussion. A 97-point season in the OHL is the kind of number that tends to keep a player on pro scouts’ radars because it indicates sustained offensive impact against quality competition. In mock draft conversations, players with that kind of scoring output often rise because NHL organizations value goal creation and power-play skill, particularly from forwards who can drive play at even strength.

For the Canadiens, the prospect of adding an offensive-minded winger aligns with a broader team-building need that has followed their organizational emphasis on drafting and development. Montreal’s recent draft cycles and prospect development have placed importance on building depth in the system, especially players who can eventually provide high-end scoring at the NHL level. A Klepov-type fit would be attractive because it gives the organization a potentially top-of-the-line, future scoring option, not just a depth addition.

Still, it is important to separate draft-room speculation from the realities of the NHL calendar. Prospects move up and down based on late-season performances, international tournaments, the NHL scouting combine, and individual interviews and medical checks. Even if a prospect is projected strongly in one mock draft, the final board can change quickly when teams’ internal evaluations diverge from media consensus.

Mock drafts also do not reflect the trading element that can reshape draft positions. If the Canadiens were to target Klepov, it would depend on where they land in the order and whether other teams see the same upside. The Athletic mock draft, as described by Yahoo Sports, frames the possibility as a match for Montreal, but it does not guarantee a path for the Canadiens to select any specific player.

What to watch next is how Klepov’s profile evolves as the 2026 draft nears. That includes whether his game translates in bigger, higher-pressure environments, and whether his style projects cleanly to the NHL pace, strength, and defensive structure. For Montreal, the immediate implication is less about “if” they pick a player like Klepov and more about what sort of offensive traits they are targeting in the upcoming draft cycle.

In the meantime, mock draft momentum can influence how other prospects are evaluated and how teams think about their organizational needs. If Klepov continues to be treated as a first-round-caliber option in multiple projections, it could become a reference point in Montreal’s planning. For fans, the story is straightforward but unsettled: a 97-point OHL season has put Klepov on the radar, and the Canadiens now appear tied to that conversation, at least on paper.