Czechia defenseman Tomas Galvas hasn't been drafted in the past two years. With his performance during the 2026 World Junior Championship, should a team consider taking a chance on him?
MINNEAPOLIS – It was right about the time that Tomas Galvas set the Czech record for career points by a defenseman at the world juniors that I thought to myself: at what point does an NHL team just say 'Let's take a shot on this kid?'
Galvas, 19, has been passed over in two straight NHL drafts, largely because he comes in at just 5-foot-10 and 168 pounds. But he's a dynamo on the blueline and has clearly proven he can be one of the best among his peer group. So I put the question to an NHL exec: at what point does an NHL team just say 'Let's take a shot on this kid'?
"We all should have by now," he said.
This summer, teams will have another chance to make Galvas their own. With the Czechs moving on to the semifinals, Galvas has an opportunity to add to the two bronze medals he has already won at the past two world juniors. He can also add to his historic Czech points record, currently at 14, after passing David Jiricek and Marek Malik.
"I'm very satisfied," Galvas said. "But team statistics mean more."
When Galvas is on the ice, typically the puck is moving in the right direction. He's an excellent puckhandler and very quick. His creativity is also unpredictable, which can sometimes vex his defensive partner, Buffalo Sabres first-rounder Radim Mrtka.
"He's an amazing player, he can find you anywhere," Mrtka said. "Sometimes it's hard because you never know what he's going to do, but he's amazing. We play well together."
And the love goes both ways - especially since Mrtka was translating for Galvas.
"Mrtka is a very good defender," Galvas said. "He's a two-way defender and he's the best."
Pairing the 6-foot-6, 218-pound Mrtka with Galvas is a fantastic bit of theater, but it also makes sense because Mrtka's solid defense and great reach mean Galvas has the freedom to freelance up the ice. That freedom gave the Czechs an offensive defenseman who can beguile the enemy, which he did in the quarterfinal win against Switzerland.
Funny enough, the NHL player Galvas likes to watch the most is Nashville Predators blueliner and Swiss national, Roman Josi.
World Juniors 2026: Tomas Galvas Continues To Flash Brilliance Despite NHL Teams Passing On Him
Tomas Galvas may have been passed by in the NHL draft twice, but the Czechia defender is once again showing why he deserves to be selected by an NHL team as he dominates junior hockey's biggest stage.
So now the only question is whether an NHL team takes a shot on a kid who is about as light as Montreal Canadiens' Lane Hutson.
"He's light, but he's super-mobile and amazing with his turns," Mrtka said. "It's kinda good that he can get everywhere because he's light."
Galvas said he has had some talks with NHL scouts, but it goes without saying that his performance at the world juniors this year will give him his best spotlight yet. And if he can add another medal to his resume, all the better.
"I love the way we're playing, and I hope we continue with it," he said.
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