Luka Arkko – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Luka Arkko

2025-26 Team: Pelicans U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
Date of Birth: Jan. 14, 2008
Place of Birth: Lahti, FIN
Ht: 6-foot-3
Wt: 209 pounds
Shoots: L Position: LW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 first-year eligible

Rankings

• NHL Central Scouting: 26th (among EU skaters)
• Elite Prospects Consolidated Ranking: 100th
• Tony Ferrari – The Hockey News: Watch List

Luka Arkko is on the exact development track that Finnish hockey is built to produce. Born and raised in Lahti, he grew up within the Pelicans’ organization, progressing through its U16, U18, and U20 systems without ever leaving home. That continuity matters.

When scouts evaluate a player from Finland’s U20 SM-sarja, they will see a player who has been coached in structure, positional discipline, and two-way habits since childhood. Arkko has all of that at 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, and he manages it with a unique trait that few others can claim: a genuine willingness to play ugly.

At the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Finland’s annual audition for draft-eligible talent, Arkko did not wait for the puck to find him. He chased it. He scored three goals in five games, including two against host Czechia, and consistently created chances through effort rather than artistry. Daily Faceoff’s scouting notes from the tournament described him as a player who was always pursuing someone, always trying to force something to happen. In a draft class loaded with skilled forwards, Arkko’s calling card is relentless engagement, and that’s what makes him valuable.

His 2025-26 season with the Pelicans U20 proved this. He posted 11 goals and 14 assists in 22 regular-season games before adding a goal and an assist in the playoffs. That marked a major step forward from 2024-25, when he appeared in just five U20 SM-sarja games and recorded five points. The jump in both playing time and production reflects a player who earned a full-time role and then grew into it.

Arkko’s involvement with Finland’s junior national teams has been consistent and substantive. He has suited up for Finland at the U16, U17, and U18 levels since 2023, playing 32 international games, with 14 goals and nine assists across friendlies, the World Hockey Challenge, and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He’s been a steady presence, not a one-off call-up. Finland’s coaching staff has trusted him in international competition repeatedly, and his goal-scoring in those environments (14 goals in 32 games) suggests he rises to the occasion.

Related: THW’s 2026 NHL Draft Guide

However, his limitations are visible, too. Arkko missed the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship in Slovakia due to injury, a significant absence for a player who needed that stage to raise his draft stock. McKeen’s Hockey and SMAHT Scouting both confirmed his unavailability, and the timing was unfortunate. The U18 World Championship is the final major international showcase before the draft, and not being there cost him a chance to build on his Hlinka Gretzky Cup momentum against top-division competition.

At the club level, Elite Prospects scouting notes have pointed to an uneven start to the season and a player who has not always found himself in a top offensive role with the Pelicans. His game does not revolve around dynamic playmaking or high-end puck skills. He generates offense through his net-front presence, shot volume, and straight-line attacks. The question for NHL clubs is whether that approach translates against faster, more structured defenses at higher levels, or whether it reaches a ceiling in the middle rounds.

His frame is a genuine asset. Arkko is already built to absorb contact and win positioning battles in front of the net. Finnish forwards with his combination of size and compete level do not grow on trees, and the ones who develop NHL-caliber finishing can carve out careers in bottom-six roles with upside.

Luka Arkko – NHL Draft Projection

Arkko projects as a third to fifth-round selection. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 26th among European skaters, while The Hockey News’ Tony Ferrari ranked him 54th overall. His combination of size, compete, and goal-scoring at the junior international level gives him a profile that teams drafting in the middle rounds will find appealing.

The missed U18 World Championship has limited his late-season visibility, but his body of work across the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and U20 SM-sarja is enough to keep him on draft boards. A team looking for a big, competitive Finnish winger with a development runway should have him circled.

Quotables

“Arkko was a pest all week. He was always chasing after someone, trying to force a goal any way he could. He scored twice against Czechia to help the Finns silence the home crowd. You love energy guys like that because they give it their all every game.” – Daily Faceoff, Hlinka Gretzky Cup Scouting Reports

Strengths

• Pro-ready frame at 6-foot-3, 209 pounds with physicality to match
• Relentless compete level and willingness to play in the hard areas
• Consistent goal-scoring in international competition (14 goals in 32 junior national team appearances)
• Meaningful production jump in his second full U20 SM-sarja season
• Positional versatility across all three forward positions
• A fixture in Finland’s junior national team pipeline since 2023

Under Construction – Needs Improvement

• Missed the 2026 U18 World Championship due to injury, limiting late-season draft exposure
• Offensive game relies on effort and positioning more than dynamic skill or creative playmaking
• Has not yet established a consistent top-line role at the U20 level
• Skating and footspeed could improve to match his physical tools at higher levels of competition
• Limited exposure against top-tier opponents outside of summer showcases

NHL Potential

Arkko’s NHL path runs through size, compete, and a willingness to do the thankless work that coaches reward with ice time. He will not dazzle in highlight packages, but he can grind his way onto a roster if his finishing develops alongside his frame.

The Finnish development system is built for players like him: structured, patient, and geared toward producing NHL-ready habits over time. If he earns Liiga minutes next season and proves he can produce against men, his stock will rise. The ceiling is a physical bottom-six winger who can contribute on the forecheck and penalty kill. The floor is a player who carves out a long European career with the size and habits to stay employed.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk: 3/5, Reward: 2/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense: 3/10, Defense: 5/10

Awards/Achievements

• Represented Finland at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (three goals in five games)
• Represented Finland at the 2024 World Hockey Challenge U17 (two goals in four games)
• Named to Finland’s U18 national team for multiple events across 2025-26
• Posted 25 points in 22 regular season games for Pelicans U20 in 2025-26

Interviews/Links

• Daily Faceoff: 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Scouting Reports on Over 90 NHL Draft Prospects
• The Hockey Writers: 2026 Draft-Eligible Standouts at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Luka Arkko Stats

Videos