PensBurgh’s 2026 edition of the Top 25 Under 25 countdown rolls on with newly drafted defenseman Tomas Galvas.
Catch up on the previous entries for this year:
Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Graduates and Departed players in 2025
Top 25 Under 25: The best of the rest
#25: Chase Pietila, D
#24: Ryan Miller, F
#23: Finn Harding, D
#22: Peyton Kettles, D
#21: Zam Plante, F
#21 (bonus): Brady Peddle, D
#20: Melvin Fernstrom, F
#19: Tanner Howe, F
#18: Tomas Galvas, D
2025 Ranking: N/A
Age: 20 (Feb. 11, 2006)
Acquired Via: 2026 NHL draft; second round, 54th overall
Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 168 pounds
The Penguins took Galvas, the 20-year-old
overager, in June’s draft after Galvas had gone undrafted the previous two years.
His size stands out, at just 5-foot-10, and, according to his billed weight, he’s not even 170 pounds. That diminutive frame was more than likely cause for concern for several general managers across the league, especially those who value physical play.
Pittsburgh’s scouting staff clearly valued his skating and puck-moving ability enough to overlook concerns about his size. The team moved quickly to sign Galvas to his three-year, entry-level contract on July 9.
Galvas notched eight goals and 24 points in 32 games with Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga in 2025-26 and had one assist in seven games in the playoffs. He led Liberec’s defensemen in goals, assists and points while finishing fifth on the club in scoring overall.
He also represented Team Czechia at the 2026 World Junior Championship, where he recorded three goals and nine points in seven games en route to a silver medal and was named to the World Junior Championship All-Star Team.
Galvas already has parts of four seasons of experience in Czechia’s top professional league despite being just 20 years old, and his impressive international play leading up to the 2026 draft only raised his draft stock.
What they’re saying
DobberProspects described Galvas as a “high-end skating defender who kills plays effectively.”
EliteProspects‘ 2026 Draft Guide praised Galvas’ skating above all else:
The left-shot defender bases his game on his high-end skating. Standing at 5-10, Galvas still struggles with the physical side of the game, but his skating allows him to kill plays effectively and turn them quickly into offense.
Galvas is extremely quick in a straight line, but he also brings great four-way mobility and agility with and without the puck. He’s at his best as a transition player, killing attacks and quickly turning up the other way.
Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis listed Galvas as the sixth-best re-entry prospect in the 2026 draft, adding that Galvas “is as good a skater as you’ll find in this class, using his quick footwork to pivot on a dime. He also makes quick, accurate backhand passes that seem to throw off opponents quite frequently.”
Galvas will be loaned back to Bílí Tygři Liberec for the 2026-27 campaign.
His combination of skating, professional experience and international success gives him one of the higher ceilings among Pittsburgh’s defensive prospects, even if his size makes him a longer-term projection.
The biggest question is whether he can add enough strength to handle the physical demands of North American hockey. Spending another season in Czechia should give him time to continue that development before making the jump overseas.
