Kyle Garcia 
With the Ontario Reign season over, we will begin our player reviews for the 2025-26 season. Up next: Nikita Novikov!
*Note: These player reviews will be for players who played at least five games with the Reign and finished the season with the team*
Season stats (with Ontario)
Games: 14
Goals: 0
Assists: 2
Points: 2
+/-: +6
Penalty minutes: 8
Season review
Nikita Novikov didn’t start the season within the LA Kings’ organization. He started the season in the AHL with the Rochester Americans (the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate). On March 9th, after playing 50 games with Rochester, Novikov was involved in a loan swap that sent him to the Ontario Reign and forward Kaleb Lawrence to Rochester.
A loan swap is when teams loan a player to another AHL team, allowing them to get more playing time. With both Novikov and Lawrence needing playing time, both were involved in the loan swap.
ROSTER UPDATES:⁰▪️ The @LAKings loan forward Kaleb Lawrence to the Rochester Americans ⁰▪️ The Buffalo Sabres have loaned defenseman Nikita Novikov from Rochester to the Reign. ⁰⁰📰 https://t.co/8t0U5v7wTK
— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) March 9, 2026
While Lawrence was getting ice time with Rochester, Novikov was playing second-pair minutes on the backend with Jack Millar. In 14 games with the Reign, Novikov recorded two assists, wasn’t flashy or impressive with his mobility, and also suited up for all five playoff games in Ontario’s playoff series against the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Now that the season is over, Novikov will return to the Sabres organization and is a restricted free agent (RFA). His time with the Reign is over.
Featured image credit: Bailey Holiver/Ontario Reign