With the 175th pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Red Wings selected winger Luka Arkko from the Lahti Pelicans’ J20 team.
Luka Arkko 6’3 power forward. I did not watch any u20 sm sarja haha I differ to @ScoutWithAnni #LGRW
— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) June 27, 2026
#RedWings 6th round No. 175 overall – LW Luka Arkko 6-3, 212 pound, 11 goals 25 points for his Finnish junior team
— Ted Kulfan (@tkulfan) June 27, 2026
The Detroit Red Wings have drafted Luka Arkko 175th overall!
— Hockeytown West Podcast (@HockeytownWpod) June 27, 2026
Luka a big forward at 6’3 212 played in Finland last year for the Pelicans in the U-20 posting 11 goals 14 assists 25 points in 42 games. #NHLDraft #LGRW #GoGRG pic.twitter.com/a9ferYQMXp
Per EliteProspects’ Draft Guide:
Prospect profile
There’s a good case to be made that Luka Arkko is among the draft-eligible prospects playing in the U20 league with the biggest boom-potential going into the 2026-2027 season.
A long-time player-to-know in the Finnish prospects circles who already added five points during five games at the U20 level last year, Arkko had intriguing power forward flashes across our viewings both domestically and internationally.
During his best appearances, the 6-foot-3 winger shines through intelligent forechecking and smart passing distribution from down low and in transition. With that comes an inside-driven mentality, taking pucks to the net every time he sees a potential opening. He proved to have a clear nose for the net, too, looking like a projectable net-front power play threat for further levels.
What keeps Arkko from currently being a legitimate NHL prospect in our eyes is his weak mechanical base. A very rigid skater who barely bends from knees and ankles, this already kept him from making the most of his size, despite having some natural explosiveness and the motor. Not being able to get low enough, he couldn’t power through contact or drive the net successfully, and he gets knocked down too easily along the boards.
In the end, the kind of drastic mechanical improvements that Arkko desperately needs are rare, especially as he’s already built physically. If he’s able to accomplish this, though, it would do wonders for his game and projection, potentially unlocking him both as a physical presence and as an offensive creator. For the team that has faith in their development staff, he could be a sensible late-round bet. Before he’s proven to be able to do that, though, we see him more as a potential middle-six Liiga forward.
#RedWings selected LW Luka Arkko (6-3, 212) from Pelicans Jr. in Finland in the sixth round (No. 175).
— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) June 27, 2026
Luka Arkko | 2025-26 Highlights | Pelicans U20 https://t.co/i5gIqYFfWN via @YouTube #nhldraft #redwings
— Sarah Lindenau (@Lindy72) June 27, 2026
— Sarah Lindenau (@Lindy72) June 27, 2026
