- Lightning sign defenseman Tomas Kralovic to a three-year, entry-level contract
- Julien BriseBois surprised the 2026 third-round pick with the deal on the ice at development camp
- Read below for Kralovic’s numbers and what comes next
Tomas Kralovic thought development camp was wrapping up like any other. Then Julien BriseBois skated over with a contract.
The Lightning signed the 20-year-old defenseman to a three-year, entry-level deal on Friday, capping Tampa Bay’s development camp with a surprise for their 2026 third-round pick.
Here’s the announcement:
Tampa Bay wanted to make it memorable. BriseBois pulled Kralovic aside at the end of the session and handed him the deal, catching the young blueliner completely off guard.
Watch the moment they sprung it on him:
Kralovic spent last season with HC Slovan Bratislava of the Slovak league. He put up six goals and 31 points in 52 games with a plus-17 rating, then added four goals and six points across 17 playoff games.
The 6-foot-3, 203-pound defenseman also skated in five games for Slovakia at the 2025 World Junior Championship and picked up two assists. Tampa Bay grabbed him 90th overall this past June, in his final year of draft eligibility.
Signing the entry-level contract clears the way for Kralovic to turn pro with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch next season. He joins a Lightning group that stayed busy all week, including the one-year deal Tampa Bay handed forward Jansen Harkins the same day.
For a kid who came over from Bratislava, signing his first NHL contract in front of his new teammates is a solid way to start.
