When the Pittsburgh Penguins called his name, it was more than a little bit surprising. In two prior NHL drafts, all 32 teams passed on Czech defenseman Tomas Galvas until the Penguins finally called his name in his third draft.

But on June 28, with their second choice of the second round of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Penguins became the team to finally select Galvas (54th overall). After getting a good look at the prospect during last week’s Development Camp, on Thursday, the team signed him to his three-year entry-level contract.

Update: According to Puckpedia, the contract carries a cap hit of $1.01M per season.

This season, Galvas, 20, had 24 points (8-16-24) in 32 games with Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga. The 5-foot-10, 168-pound defender ranked fifth overall on his team in points and led the team’s defensemen in goals and assists. He ranked sixth among Extraliga defensemen in goals (8). His plus/minus rating (+16) ranked third among league defensemen and seventh overall.

Galvas shone for Team Czechia at the 2026 World Junior Championship, where he had nine points (3-6-9) in seven games, helping Czechia to a silver medal, and was named to the tournament’s All-Star Team.

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