Oilers 2026 Prospect Countdown No. 19: Tomas Cibulka

Like Owen Michaels, Tomas Cibulka was not selected in the NHL draft.

However, unlike the Western Michigan alumnus, the left-shot defenceman is almost two full years younger with two years of experience playing professionally against men. The main knock on Cibulka is that he is slight as a defenceman at 170 pounds, but I’m interested in his measurables at camp to see if there have been any gains.

The most intriguing aspect of Cibulka’s game is his skating ability. Whether it is staying tight to a winger, controlling a great gap, or moving laterally across the blue line, the six-foot-tall defenceman is incredibly fluid in all situations. 

What makes Tomas Cibulka’s skating and puck management stand out

I could post all day about his skating ability alone, but this leads to another area of Cibulka’s game that had me impressed this year: his ability to make a play under pressure. Having a strong skating ability like the undrafted defenceman has is always a good first step, but what you do with it matters more. In the first clip above, you can see how he is able to use his mobility to his advantage, deceives the opposing forward with it, and makes a simple play under pressure.

Below are two clips of the 22-year-old defenceman making some strong plays under pressure.

There aren’t many times where I found myself frustrated with the ability of this “smaller” defenceman playing under tight pressure. But once again, all of these plays are allowed to happen because of the excellent edge work and explosive two-steps from Cibulka.

The final area is his overall offensive ability. Watching the games makes you think that he should probably have a few more points than what is on the scoresheet, but sometimes that just isn’t the case.

There were times where I’d like to see Cibulka make a pass instead of shooting from the point. However, those times didn’t come to the surface too often. Below are the final few clips showing off the overall skill and offensive ability the new Bakersfield defenceman brings to the game… enjoy and we’ll talk about it after.

Tomas Cibulka’s 2026-27 projection and NHL timelines

Sometimes there are players that are just “fun” to watch, and Tomas Cibulka falls into that category for me.

Whether or not he can make it to the NHL, there is a lot of risk and confidence in his game, but that’s also what makes him an intriguing player to me. I believe the skating, confidence, and skill can take him a decent ways.

If I had to be picky about some of the clips, it’s that Cibulka takes his lower hand off his stick to protect the puck and it limits what he can do after he beats his man. Of course, inviting that much pressure on in the best league in the world is a risky game to play, but if Cibulka can get a bit stronger and continue to become an elite skater, there is a path where his game could work at the NHL level.

Now I don’t expect the Czech defenceman to stick-handle around the best hockey players this planet has to offer, but all the clips showed a strong fundamental skill set: playmaking under pressure (whether it’s with his feet or his hands), an excellent skating base to work with, and the ability to deceive the opponent.

Tomas Cibulka 2026-27 projection and NHL timelines

I think there is a chance that Cibulka climbs up my list by December if he starts off hot with Bakersfield. I wonder if he will get a chance to run the second power-play unit (assuming Atro Leppanen is occupying the top unit). But if he doesn’t, I don’t see him as a stalwart on the penalty kill, even though he could provide some minutes there.

If everything goes perfectly, Cibulka is a player that could provide value on your third pairing one day, and by the end of his contract in 2028 you will have a pretty good idea if he is an NHLer or not. If he is going to suit up in NHL games, my best bet would be during the 2029 season. I would love for the wild defenceman to pan out because, as I said earlier, he is a boatload of fun and that’s what the game is all about.

Top 20 Oilers prospects for 2026-27

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