Central Europe Stock Watch: Tomáš Galvas, Matěj Kubiesa light up their last chances to be drafted

A lot has happened in Central Europe since the last Stock Watch. Czechia captured silver at the World Juniors, highlighted by record-setting performances from Tomáš Galvas, who carried that confidence forward into league play.

Immediately after the World Juniors, Adam Nemec, one of the top prospects from the region for this year’s draft, made the decision to leave his Slovak club and head to the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves.

Some players have seen increased ice time or moved up to higher league levels, steps that should help their development and bring them closer to achieving their goals.

Enough talking, let’s take a closer look at how the players from Central Europe have been performing.

Stock Rising 📈

Tomáš Galvas, D, Bílí Tygři Liberec (2026 NHL Draft re-entry)

I’m sure Tomáš Galvas is feeling like he’s living through the best period of his young career right now. With nine points, he helped Czechia secure silver at the World Juniors and simultaneously became the country’s all-time most productive defenceman at the tournament. He immediately carried that confidence into league play, recording points in five of his last nine games, totaling 11 points, and becoming the top-scoring U20 defenseman in the Czech Extraliga among men. He also made history as the first U20 defenceman in the league to post a four-point game. That’s quite a record-breaking month.

Galvas’ skating has always been his standout trait, he glides along the blueline, escapes pressure effortlessly, and looks smooth in transition. His game sense and ability to distribute the puck and control play were especially visible on the power play, where his team noticeably struggled in his absence. But it’s his newfound confidence that has most noticeably improved his ability to join the rush, find soft spots on the ice, and carry the puck low from the blueline to beat opponents one-on-one.

He was overlooked on the draft boards over the past two years, but the last month has made a clear statement to NHL teams: he deserves attention, he wants to be selected, and he’s a better player than he was over the last two seasons. There aren’t many defencemen putting up similar performances in pro European leagues. As an undersized blueliner with limited physical tools, breaking into the NHL will always be a challenge, but if it doesn’t happen, he has the potential to become a highly offensive, point-producing defenceman in Europe.

Matěj Kubiesa, RW, HC Oceláři Třinec (2026 NHL Draft re-entry) 

We’ll stay with the silver medalists for a moment. Matěj Kubiesa appears in this month's Stock Watch among rising players for the second time, and there’s a reason for that. After dominating the Czech second men’s league in the fall, he added five points at the World Juniors, made his presence known once again, and then continued finding the back of the net at both levels of Czech men’s leagues.

Kubiesa stood out mainly for his heavy wrist shot and his one-timer on the power play. Even when he didn’t get as much space to shoot at higher levels, his game sense in front of the net allowed him to create other scoring opportunities. His proactivity off the puck and physical skills suggest he could eventually secure a more permanent spot higher in a Czech top-league lineup, rather than as the 13th forward or in the fourth line.

Like Galvas, Kubiesa is in his draft-plus-two season, and has one last chance to prove he’s draft-worthy. The ice time and confidence he’s gained will make him an intriguing player in Europe. But if his performance continues and even strengthens in the second half of the season, he could very well become a draft pick.

Tomáš Chrenko, C, HK Nitra (2026 NHL Draft)

Few players competing in Central Europe have boosted their draft stock at the World Juniors like Tomáš Chrenko. With five goals, he finished tied for second on the tournament’s scoring chart, despite playing two fewer games than the leader. He carried that strong form into league play as well, recording points in six of ten games since his return. That performance earned him the No. 64 spot in our latest January Top 75 ranking.

Chrenko continues to flash high-end skill, surprising goalies with his quick releases, finding teammates, and creating advantages with his puck handling. If he can translate the dominant play he showed at the World Juniors into league play and at the U18 World Juniors, it could shift how NHL teams view him despite his smaller stature.

Jiří Felcman, C, SCL Tigers (Chicago Blackhawks) 

Jiří Felcman had a great month, securing a spot as a top-six centre for the first time in his career, and it immediately showed in his point production. He’s become more consistent, doubling his point total with nine points over the past month. For context, he had nine points all of last season.

Since my last viewings, he’s made noticeable progress in his skating and mechanics, looking more mobile and adding speed. Combined with his physicality, he’s winning battles and using his long reach to make life difficult for puck carriers. He’s also added more puck-handling and one-on-one creativity, getting himself into scoring areas. His passing and vision still shine on the power play.

If he continues to address his weaknesses while maintaining top-six ice time, he could increase his chances of eventually becoming a bottom-six centre on a young Blackhawks team.

Stock Steady ↔️

Filip Novák, LW/RW, HC Sparta Praha (2026 NHL Draft)

Since the beginning of January, Filip Novák has been playing exclusively against men’s competition, which is always a good sign when a prospect in his draft year gets exposure at a higher level. However, he likely didn’t receive the ice time he would have hoped for, and his point production wasn’t ideal either, recording just two assists across the top two Czech men’s leagues. Young players do need time to adjust to playing against men, but even younger players than him have shown this season that it’s possible to make an impact on team play quickly.

Where Novák did stand out was with his speed and physical skills, which could serve as a solid foundation for finding his game at this level. His biggest challenge, however, remains his hockey sense. Expectations were high for Novák before the season, as his tools looked like an A-grade package. If he can’t find his game, particularly offensively, during the second half of the season against men, it could actually hurt his draft stock.

Stock Falling 📉

Vojtěch Hradec, C, BK Mladá Boleslav (Utah Mammoth)

Since last season, Vojtěch Hradec has had excellent conditions in the Czech top men’s league: top-six minutes, high ice time, and solid point production. That continued into December, but then he was moved to the fourth line and later the 13th forward. His ice time dropped dramatically, and he even missed several games. All of January, he has been trying to regain his rhythm, and he hasn’t recorded a point since late November.

Hradec has always shown himself as a defensive center, using his strong frame to lock down opponents, consistently contributing to backchecking, and reading the play to disrupt opponents with his stick. Offensively, he operates mainly around the net. To progress, Hradec will need to find his way back into his team’s top-six and get more involved with the puck if he wants to develop into the type of player the Utah Mammoth envisioned when they drafted him in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL Draft.