2025 TLN Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings: #8 Miroslav Holinka

The TLN Maple Leafs prospect rankings were compiled by a panel of seven TLN writers, each ranking our top 20 prospects to form a consensus group ranking.

Rather than hard and fast limits on age or NHL games played to determine “prospect” eligibility, our group decided on a more nuanced approach to include any reasonably young player who is either under contract with the Leafs or on the club’s reserve list, who has not yet established himself as a full-time NHLer.

Heading into his draft year, Miroslav Holinka checked (or Czeched) all the right boxes. He was scoring against his peers in the Czech junior leagues, he earned a call up to the Czech Elite League, and stood out in international play as well. The Leafs being able to select a player like Holinka in the fifth round initially and still does look like a steal and so far Holinka is giving the Leafs some hope of NHL upside that the organization desperately needs.

Holinka’s first year in North America went statistically well. He didn’t put up obscene numbers you’d hope to see from a forward in their post draft year but adjusted well to the new situation on a middle of the road iteration of the Edmonton Oil Kings. Holinka also continued his success in international play, again not taking on a star power type place in the lineup, but showing that he can be reliable contributor.

The lack of gaudy numbers shouldn’t be an issue for the Toronto Maple Leafs as Holinka is viewed as more of a two-way player that contributes in all zones and understands how to play a key F1 role in the defensive zone. At 6’1 and 185 lbs he has the size to contribute in a bottom six capacity on a professional club, similar to the role that he took on in the top Czechia league in 2023-24.

Nation Network prospect guru Steven Ellis on Holinka:

The Czech forward is a reliable two-way threat who does a lot in his own zone. Scouts like how he supports his defenders and that he’s willing to block shots and get in the way of scoring chances. Holinka’s first step looks better than it did before the draft — he’s still not quick, but he’s quicker. His game still needs a bit more urgency to be more effective, though. It’s like Holinka needs to feel threatened that he’ll lose ice time if he doesn’t make the right move quicker. I’m interested to see what type of role they give him with the Marlies.

The biggest question around Holinka is whether this is the year that he steps into North American professional hockey. Last season with the Oil Kings, Holinka demonstrated that there isn’t a lot left for him to prove at the junior hockey level and in comparison to his age group he’s well ahead of the curve. The fact that he was drafted out of Czechia and not the CHL means that despite being under 20 years old, Holinka is eligible to play in the AHL and from a development standpoint, having him on site with the Leafs top people and testing what he can do against adults instead of teens while give Holinka and the organization an earlier understanding of what career path to put him on.

There are risks with that. Bringing Holinka into a pro setting early comes with a potential reduction of ice time and could see him pigeon holed towards a bottom six forward role for his career rather than further exploring his offence. The move to professional hockey at this point might also be the end of Holinka’s time at centre as the wing potentially comes with an easier transition but may minimalize his role. Holinka taking up a bottom six forward role in an organization that covets physical versions of players in that situation might be career limiting. Of course, every player wants to play at the highest level possible and top prospects are meant to push for greater roles and responsibilities, so understandably the best outcome would still be the Marlies for Holinka and presumably now having the combination of pro hockey experience in Czechia and a season of hockey in North America should limit the orientation time.

Holinka going back to the Edmonton Oil Kings wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen either. Having a prospect on a team that has the on and off ice resources of sharing a building and owner with an NHL team is beneficial and having a Czech Development Coach there in Ladislav Smid would at the very least make the Oil Kings a more appealing alternative than having Holinka play the bulk of his 2025-26 season in the ECHL.

There is some reverence for Holinka’s offensive creativity and his intelligence at reading plays, giving that a chance to translate still keeps Holinka’s potential ceiling as a player as either a third line centre or potentially even a second line winger. Perhaps more realistically with some development time it is easy to see Holinka as a Pontus Holmberg type player, with a bit more offensive upside.

Given that Holinka is now under contract with the Leafs and on the cusp of playing for the Marlies, it seems like his floor as a prospect is that he spends the next three years as a regular in the bottom six for the Marlies, but that too seems unlikely. In an organization short on centres and short on offensive upside, as well as the Leafs having an affinity for physical bottom six players, there is likely an accelerated path to the Marlies top six forward group as well for Holinka, it just might not be early in this season.