[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Smurf Edition, Vol.3):

LHD Tomas Galvas spent the first game of the WJC in the press box as an extra body for Team Czechia, but an injury to Adam Jiricek in that contest opened a spot for him in Game #2, and he took off from there, earning more and more responsibility and ice-time as the tournament wore on. He only managed 2 points in 6 games, but was named Player of the Game for the Czechs against Switzerland, and turned heads with his stellar play, despite the lack of points. Scouts already had a pretty good book on him going into the current season anyway, with similar great performances in the 2023 Five Nations, as well as the Hlinka- garnering rave reviews for each. To date, Galvas is 7th in ppg for defensemen in Czechia's U20 league, with 13 points in 16 games, split between HC Olomouc and Bili Tygri Liberec. Most of his season was spent in Czechia's top men's league, the Extraliga, with Bili Tygri Liberec, and he is currently 1st in both games-played and points for U-18 players, with 7 in 32 games.

Galvas is dimunitive, at 5'10",158lbs, but manages to be an effective two-way presence with outstanding skill, and a positive influence on the game for his team. The first thing one might notice about Galvas is his exceptional skating ability, with speed that's among the best in the draft. He's explosive in all directions, and escapes pressure with lateral agility that few can match- he's sharp on his edges, light on his feet, and can turn or stop on a dime. Luckily for him, his hands are fast enough when handling to keep up with his feet, and he offsets his size deficiencies by staying super active, buzzing all around the zone, seemingly touching every square foot of space, including activating along the boards. To augment his speed and activeness, he plays at a higher pace than anyone on the ice around him, and makes plays at top speed. He's shifty, which is enough to confuse defenders, but he also uses a wide array of fakes, look-offs, dekes, and other deception to manipulate opponents into going one way, while he goes in a different direction. He's active with, and without the puck, and he has advanced spatial awareness with the knowledge of how to exploit it, getting precise passes to high-danger through seams he creates. Galvas makes quick, decisive plays with his high-end IQ and vision, and reads the ice at a high level to solve problems instantaneously. He often spearheads the rush, getting behind defenders, and makes beautiful plays around the net. In the zone, he walks the line and quarterbacks the offense, activating into the play when he's clear to do so, with well-timed pinches.

Transition is an area where Galvas makes some of his best contributions- he's more than willing and able to carry through the neutral zone, weaving through checks, or skating wide routes if necessary; or he can QB the play with crisp, quality breakouts, and give-and-go's. He is highly elusive 1-on-1, but can separate from opponents after completing a clean retrieval with his head up to scan for threats, and map out his surroundings. He's cool and composed under pressure, and is a good possession player who drives play. A lot of smaller defensemen don't hold up well in the defensive zone, but this is not true of Galvas, who sports a strong defensive game with sharp positioning, and keen anticipation. He's amazing at picking pockets, and closes gaps quickly, forcing mistakes aplenty by constantly buzzing in the face of puck-carriers, and removing all time and space. He sticks to his man like glue, and if they get possession, he pursues the puck like a dog on a bone, poking it loose and pouncing on it. He's not afraid to engage bigger players in the corners, or along the wall, and wins battles with sheer will, smarts, and an active stick- though he has a pinch of physicality to work with.

It seems fairly unanimous among scouts that Galvas will be even more sucessful defensively as he adds strength and mass, as he still struggles to handle opponents in front of the net, and can be pushed off the puck when opponents catch up to him. He knows how he wants to play, but can't always execute it, because of his lack of strength. Galvas can hold on to the puck too long, while searching for the right opportunity, which can cause him to run out of real estate. He can pinch at inopportune times, thereby being caught deep in the zone with the puck going the other way, so he has to learn to pick his spots a bit better. Many think he'll be selected in the top-2 rounds, and while I believe that's very possible, I could see him lasting into the third. In terms of small defensemen in this draft, I'm not so sure he's in the same league as Kiviharju, or Hutson- even though he does a lot of things very well.