3 Finnish Prospects to Watch at the 2026 NHL Prospect Games

Following a look at Finnish prospects at the Rookie Faceoff, attention now turns to the NHL Prospect Games, scheduled for September 12-15 in Detroit. Hosted by the Red Wings, this event will feature the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Columbus Blue Jackets. Among the notable participants are Dallas's Niilopekka Muhonen, and Detroit's Jesse Kiiskinen and Luka Arkko. While these players are a step further from NHL readiness than those at the Rookie Faceoff, observing them offers valuable insights into each team's Finnish prospect pipeline.

Niilopekka Muhonen: A Mobile, Big Defenseman

Dallas selected Niilopekka Muhonen 158th overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, a fifth-round gamble on a 6-foot-5 defenseman with raw potential. After leaving the Finnish Liiga's KalPa, he transitioned to the Western Hockey League, joining the Medicine Hat Tigers. In his debut North American season, he was instrumental in the Tigers' Ed Chynoweth Cup victory and Memorial Cup final appearance. Dallas signed him to a three-year entry-level contract in July 2025, and he is set to begin his professional career with the AHL's Texas Stars this season.

Muhonen's offensive contributions are minimal, which aligns with his role as a shutdown defenseman. His statistics from last season highlight this: averaging two hits per game, winning 58% of his puck battles, contributing on the penalty kill, and maintaining an 84% passing accuracy for puck clearance. He finished with a plus-27 rating in 39 games for a dominant Medicine Hat team that compiled a 50-10-5-3 record, despite missing some time due to upper-body injuries.

His primary assets are his size and skating. At Dallas's development camp in July, he demonstrated impressive agility for his frame, strong edge work, and confidence in carrying the puck out of pressure. A standout moment included forcing a turnover and making a clean neutral-zone pass that led to a goal. While he possesses physical tools like effective checking and stick work, occasional overcommitment and vulnerability on defensive entries, coupled with a lack of offensive upside, suggest his most probable NHL role is as a penalty-killing defenseman. The Prospect Games will be a key indicator of his development. His skating ability at his size makes him a prospect worth watching, with his rush-defense timing being the primary hurdle to reaching the NHL.

Jesse Kiiskinen: A Sniper Making the Full-Time Jump

Nashville drafted Jesse Kiiskinen 68th overall in 2023, a third-round selection for a shooter who was ranked higher by some scouting services. A year later, Detroit acquired him in a trade, sending 2023 second-round pick Andrew Gibson to Nashville for Kiiskinen and a 2024 second-round selection. He gained prominence at the 2025 World Juniors, where he served as an alternate captain for Finland. After a quiet start, he scored six goals in the final four games, leading his team to a silver medal. He then returned to the Finnish Liiga, where he led all junior-aged scorers with 44 points in 46 games for his hometown team, HPK, in the 2024-25 season.

His performance last season saw a slight dip with 28 points in 54 games, but his goal total increased to 17, with the decrease primarily in assists. This trend aligns with both statistical analysis and video scouting. He consistently shoots the puck, averaging over five attempts per game, but many are blocked or taken from the perimeter rather than high-danger areas. He also rarely creates scoring opportunities for his teammates. Video analysis suggests he is a high-energy winger rather than a primary offensive creator, hindered by a lack of advanced playmaking skills, projecting as an honest third-line two-way winger.

Kiiskinen possesses a powerful and accurate shot, along with a dangerous one-timer. Away from the puck, he forechecks with an agitator's intensity. The main question surrounding his game is his skating, which may prove to be a long-term limitation. He had a brief three-game stint with the Grand Rapids Griffins at the end of last season, recording a goal and an assist, but was not included on their playoff roster. He is now permanently based in North America and is expected to take on a top-six role with a developing Griffins squad. If he continues to progress, the trade that brought him to Detroit could prove to be a significant steal.

Luka Arkko: The Rawest Prospect of the Trio

Luka Arkko is the youngest and least experienced of these three prospects. The 18-year-old was selected 175th overall by Detroit in June. He spent last season in Finnish junior leagues, splitting time between the Pelicans' U20 and U18 teams, where he accumulated 33 points. The Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League drafted him shortly after, indicating his move to North American junior hockey this season.

While he can be described as a power forward, the label doesn't fully capture his style. He operates effectively around the net, battling for rebounds and screening the goaltender, and demonstrates strong puck protection skills below the goal line. However, he rarely engages physically and plays more like a skilled, complementary winger than a rugged forward. Scouts consistently identify a common concern: his skating. Despite his 6-foot-3, 212-pound frame, his skating stride is described as stiff and upright, with a lack of separation between his upper and lower body, which impedes his ability to leverage his size against higher-level competition. His off-puck awareness, net-front instincts, and flashes of skill were notable for the 2026 Draft, but his skating form requires significant improvement.

Despite being a sixth-round pick, Arkko shows flashes of potential. In a preseason game last summer, he executed a coast-to-coast rush, deked through defenders, and finished on a backhand, demonstrating the kind of play that justifies Detroit's draft selection. The Prospect Games will be Arkko's first opportunity to play against older, faster competition in a Detroit uniform. The key factor to monitor will be whether his skating can keep pace with his hands and offensive instincts. He represents a long-term project for Red Wings fans to follow patiently.

These three prospects are at different stages of their development and are worth watching for distinct reasons. Muhonen possesses the highest ceiling and the longest developmental runway as a large, mobile defenseman still refining his professional game and rush defense. Kiiskinen is the closest to potentially contributing to his NHL team, provided his shot can overcome skating limitations in the AHL. Arkko is a speculative pick, likely many years away from an NHL roster spot.