Draft Thoughts:
Jan.30th: After posting a mere 6 points in his first 17 games this season in Finland's U20, while playing mostly third-line minutes for the Pelicans, "C"-rated LW Luka Arkko (6'3",212lbs) caught fire after a decent showing in November's 5 Nations (3 points in 4 games), putting up 8 points in 7 games for the Pelicans' U20 squad (all wins for his team). In 10 games since that time (and 4 games in the U18 league), he has been held to six points- for a grand total of 20 points (10 goals) in 34 games. Arkko was Finland's second-leading goal-scorer in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer, with 3 tallies (2 against Czechia, 1 against Sweden), and led the U17 National Team in that category- scoring 9 times in 20 games. He is #26 on Central Scouting's list of European Skaters.
Arkko's area of specialty is goal-scoring, and he displays the instincts to find open space in the offensive zone to unleash his deadly shot, but also has no fear in attacking the net, or planting himself in front of the crease for opportunities; he exhibits soft hands in-tight, as well as good hand-eye coordination. His game is still quite raw, and though he flashes moments of high-end ideas, he doesn't really have the puck-skill to consistently show play-creation ability, and he doesn't drive play- he's mostly an opportunist. While he can connect plays with short passes through the neutral zone, he relies on mostly quick-touches, and defers to others to do most of the carrying. Arkko will do the dirty work for his teammates though, in winning battles along the boards, digging pucks out from the corners, and going to the net-front to cause havoc. He is known for his energy, motor, and aggressive puck-pursuit, but also for being a splendid defensive forward who suffocates opponents of their time and space, wielding elevated awareness when defending. Arkko manages to keep the penalty minutes down (8 PIM in the U20), but he is an edgy physical player, and a nuisance to opponents, who are driven crazy by his constant "in your face" attempts to keep them off-balance. Going forward, Arkko needs work on his mobility, as he is slowed down by a stiff, upright stride, and is not very strong on his edges. He is not very agile or maneuverable in small areas, and can sometimes be pushed off the puck- showing deficiencies in his balance. He protects well, but his puck-skills need work, as he can lose the handle while in-flight, and has trouble with pass-receptions at times. Developing a more prominent playmaking dimension wouldn't hurt either. Look for him in the middle-rounds.
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