Tomas Galvas — 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Tomas Galvas

2025-26 Team: Bílí Tygři Liberec (Czechia)
Date of Birth: Feb. 11, 2006
Place of Birth: Zlin, Czechia
Ht: 5-ft-10 Wt: 168 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Defenseman
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 third-year eligible

Rankings

• NHL Central Scouting: 71st (among EU skaters)
• Andrew Forbes’ April Rankings: 80th
• Dayton Reimer’s March Rankings: 38th
• Peter Baracchini’s March Rankings: 73rd
• Craig Button/TSN: 53rd
• Upside Hockey: 67th

One of the most notable overagers in this draft class, Tomas Galvas, hasn’t been drafted in large part due to his size. NHL teams primarily want bigger defensemen to fill out their blue line — the vast majority of defensemen drafted in 2025 were at least six feet tall — and his frame doesn’t fit that mold.

With that being said, he does offer a number of positive qualities. He is a smooth, fluid skater, which he uses to his advantage on offense. His skating and puckhandling combine in his ability to bring the puck through the neutral zone while evading defenders. His ability in transition also manifests itself in his ability to make breakout and stretch passes. Though occasionally turnover-prone, he is a skilled puck-mover overall with a great release on his shot.

Defensively, Galvas needs to make sure his focus on offense doesn’t impact his defensive play. His offensive transition work is so strong that he often gets excited to start a rush too early, leading him to abandon or outright miss defensive assignments. He also doesn’t get involved in puck battles as often as he should due to his desire to leave himself available for breakout opportunities, although he has improved in this area as his career has progressed. On the more positive side, he is a good backchecker who positions himself well in passing lanes and effectively uses his stick to disturb both passers and puckhandlers.

Galvas has been passed over in two straight drafts, but he’s used that as motivation to drive his career. He’s taken on a larger role with Bílí Tygři Liberec and various Czech national teams each season, consistently improving his numbers and making scouts, executives, and pundits wonder why he hasn’t been drafted yet. In his final draft-eligible year, his growth should get teams to pay attention to him even more.

Other THW Draft Profiles

• Juho Piiparinen
• Tomas Chrenko
• Malte Gustafsson

Tomas Galvas — NHL Draft Projection

Galvas has performed well enough in both league and international play to draw significant attention to the fact that he hasn’t been drafted yet. His age and size might scare some teams off, but he should finally hear his name called this summer. The fourth or fifth round feels like the most likely spot for him.

Quotables

“He is a skilled offensive leaning defenseman with great skating ability. He uses agile changes of direction and hard stops to escape pressure. He is patient with the puck and consistently makes smart pass choices. His head is always up when rushing up ice and spots great opportunities to fire a stretch pass and spring play up ice.” – Henry Lawrence, Neutral Zone

“Makes quick, accurate backhand passes that seem to throw off opponents quite frequently. He was passed over twice before (he’s small at 5-foot-10, and there are still language barriers to deal with), but I doubt it’ll happen again.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

“Galvas’ offensive skill remains a strong point in his game, showcasing excellent puckhandling and passing. The puckhandling he’s known for is still high-level, with deceptive mobility that lets him shake opposing players through the neutral zone or along the offensive blueline. He’s still on the small side, and his lack of physicality, at least in the traditional sense, is an area of concern for scouts.” – Tony Ferrari, The Hockey News

Strengths

• Passing
• Skating and puckhandling in transition
• Wrist shot
• Defensive stickwork

Under Construction — Improvements to Make

• Defensive engagement
• Offensive over-aggression

NHL Potential

Galvas probably isn’t big enough to be a top-pair NHL defenseman, but he has enough skill to be an offensive-minded second-pair blueliner who plays on the power play. When it comes to finding a role at the next level, he should clearly look at Lane Hutson, a similarly-sized left-shot defenseman who has played well enough offensively to offset any downsides in his game.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 2/5, Reward – 3.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense – 7.5/10, Defense – 5/10

Awards/Achievements

• 2026 U20 WJC Silver Medal
• 2026 U20 WJC All-Star Team
• 2026 U20 WJC Top 3 Player on Team
• 2025 U20 WJC Bronze Medal
• 2024 U20 WJC Bronze Medal
• 2023-24 Czech Extraliga Most Points by U18 Junior (7)
• 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Silver Medal
• 2024 U18 WJC Top 3 Player on Team

Interviews/Links

• Daily Faceoff – 2026 NHL Draft: Five re-entry prospects you need to know
• The Hockey News – NHL Teams Should Take A Shot On Tomas Galvas As Czechs Advance To World Juniors Semifinals

Tomas Galvas Stats

Videos