| Tomas Galvas | HC Olomouc | International | L | D | 5’10” | 148 | Olomouc, CZE | 2006 | 2023-2024: B- |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Galvas is a highly skilled but slightly undersized offensive defenseman. He is a fantastic skater and is incredibly speedy both with and without the puck. He is very agile and was able to pull off some skilled cuts as well as tight turns to escape pressure and burst into open space. He is very fast and able to accelerate to top speeds quickly when rushing the puck and uses crossovers to switch lanes. He activates deep into the offensive zone and joins the rush very often. For the most part he joined at smart times but there were a couple choices where we felt that he should have been a bit more conservative. Galvas also showed some great playmaking/passing ability. He fired some great stretch passes to accelerate the breakout and made timely cycle passes to avoid pressure and keep play moving. His defensive game was ok. He had a couple of great moments on defense but needs to become more disciplined with his decision making. One of his better plays came in the second period when he made an aggressive step up to win a race for a loose puck just inside his blue line. He did not hesitate and won possession before his opponents could capitalize. Where he needs to improve is with his positioning and discipline on choices to join battles. He often drifted far out of position in an attempt to create rush opportunities. He was way too focused on offense at times and could have easily given up bad opportunities if playing against a better opponent. We were very impressed with Galvas’ offensive and skating abilities and think he is definitely worth a look in the second/third round of the 2024 draft.
| Ludvig Lafton | Frisk Asker | International | L | D | 6’2″ | 183 | Baerum, NOR | 2006 | 2023-2024: C+ |
Game Grade: C
Comments: Lafton is a 6’2, 2024 draft eligible defenseman. He is a great puck mover, executing quick pass decisions and keeping play in motion through his pass choices. He showed good vision and an ability to find teammates with timely passes to move play up ice. He fired strong stretch passes up ice to spring the breakout. He was positionally sound in his own end and a responsible defender.
| Michael Brandsegg-Nygard | Mora IK | SHL | R | C | 6’1″ | 194 | Oslo, NOR | 2005 | 2023-2024: A- |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Bransegg-Nygard showed a tough, grinding style today which was very impressive. He forechecks very hard and takes away breathing room from opponents with aggressive/non stop pressure and high paced play. He is a physical player, finishing every check and using his large frame to crush opponents. He is a very strong player and was able to shove opponents to the ice without exerting much energy. His play with the puck was good, not great. He moved the puck around well with quick passes but did not take many risks and was unable to generate much offense through his puck movement. He has a very heavy shot which he unleashed multiple times. He has a quick release wrist shot and was able to fire a couple of one time blasts while on the powerplay. We also liked his ability to dig pucks along the boards and take them towards the middle of the ice. He battles hard along the boards and has quick enough hands to escape from very difficult situations. Brandsegg-Nygard is a very consistent, hard working, physical player that will give his all without the puck. He is not the best offensive player and will likely never be an offensive force in the NHL but his energy and grinding play style will be very valuable to a franchise in the future.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Player Evaluations: Henry Lawrence