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<\/p>\nA right-shot defenseman that has size and is mobile? In the Tampa Bay Lightning system, it might not be long until Tomas Kralovic is making his NHL debut.<\/p>\n
NameTomas KralovicPositionDefenseman (Right Shot)Age (as of October 1, 2026)21Height\/Weight6\u20193\u2033, 203 lbs.Expected 2026-27 TeamSyracuse CrunchDraft \u2013 Year, Round2026, 3rd (90th)Previous RankingsNot ApplicableJustinG. Ranking9Final Rank13<\/p>\n
Stats:<\/p>\n
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Our Thoughts:<\/p>\n
Tomas Kralovic\u2019s summer has been a bit of whirlwind. First getting drafted in the third round by the Lightning (a little bit of a reach for some prognosticators), then, a few days later at Tampa Bay\u2019s development camp, the lanky defender signed his entry-level contract. It was a little shocking that the then 20-year-old inked his deal so quickly as it wouldn\u2019t have been a shock to see him spend at least another season in Slovakia.<\/p>\n
Instead, he\u2019s coming overseas and will likely start his North American career in Syracuse this fall. In an organization where the defensive depth is about as deep as a puddle in a parking lot after a 15-minute Tampa rainstorm, it might not be long before he\u2019s skating in the NHL. That being said, it\u2019s a long way from the Extraliga to the NHL, and there are definitely some things that Kralovic will have to work on in order to see time with the Lightning.<\/p>\n
The most intriguing part of his game is his ability to generate offense. As a 20-year-old he put up 31 points (6 goals, 25 assists) in 52 games. That was good for 7th overall in the Extraliga last season, and only Ryan O\u2019Conner put up more points as a defenseman. Only four of his points came on the power play, but it wouldn\u2019t be a shock to see him emerge as one of the Crunch\u2019s more reliable quarterbacks. <\/p>\n
His biggest strength is his skating ability. Yes, for once we don\u2019t have to add the \u201cimprove his skating\u201d cravat to his skill set. Kralovic can move the puck from one zone to another effortlessly and doesn\u2019t mind joining the rush as an extra attacker. Once he\u2019s in the zone he has an effective wrist shot that he can put on net with regularity. <\/p>\n
With his size he can take opponents out of the play without being overly physical. He can throw a hit and make it count, but he doesn\u2019t go out of his way to bury other players into the ice. The Lightning tend to favor hockey sense over dynamic skill in selecting their prospects, but in this case, the scales may be tipped in the other direction. <\/p>\n
One of the biggest hurdles he\u2019s going to have to deal with is handling the increased pressure on forechecks from higher-skilled AHL attackers. Can he process the game fast enough to make the right decisions when he\u2019s under pressure. If he can, he has the skill to lead the rush out of the zone and turn defense into offense. <\/p>\n
Your Thoughts:<\/p>\n
\u201cKralovic has the physical traits to get him to NHL quickly especially with Lightning\u2019s lack of organizational depth at D \u2013 will be a replacement for Cernak in 2027.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new defenseman peaked at the five spot on one voter\u2019s rankings while his most popular spot was 11th.<\/p>\n
Highlight Videos:<\/p>\n
Tom\u00e1\u0161 Kr\u00e1lovi\u010d s 3. g\u00f3lom v tomto fin\u00e1le, viac ich zatia\u013e dali len Tak\u00e1\u010d a Lacka \ud83c\udfd2\ud83d\udea8 Par\u00e1dna strela od modrej a ako vyzdvihol aj spolukoment\u00e1tor, nemal o\u010di na puku, ale cel\u00fd \u010das hral s hlavou hore pozeraj\u00fac na br\u00e1nu \ud83e\udd45 \u2014 Peter Vreteni\u010dka (@vretenicka) April 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n What we like about this play is that Kralovic never stops moving his feet in order to get to the slot. A lot of defenders will take a couple of strides and then glide into the area before taking their shot. That gives defenders a chance to slide out and block shots. Kralovic got to where he needed to be and snapped off his shot. <\/p>\n 20-ro\u010dn\u00fd Tom\u00e1\u0161 Kr\u00e1lovi\u010d neprest\u00e1va udivova\u0165 \ud83d\ude32 V piatkovom derby proti KE dostal \u0161ancu v n\u00e1jazdoch a premenil obidva pokusy, \u010d\u00edm zabezpe\u010dil pre Slovan v\u00fdhru \ud83d\udcaa Je jedin\u00fdm obrancom s \u00faspe\u0161n\u00fdm n\u00e1jazdom v tejto sez\u00f3ne \ud83d\udc40 \u2014 Peter Vreteni\u010dka (@vretenicka) October 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The kid has some hands. The Lightning can always use another skill guy on the shoot-out. He took a nice angle and sold the toe-drag before flipping it over the glove. <\/p>\n \t
\ud83c\udfa5JOJ\u0161port pic.twitter.com\/Gg7ZEDfL9v<\/a><\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfa5YT Tipsport liga pic.twitter.com\/AN7My9GWx3<\/a><\/p>\n