Maple Leafs prospect Miroslav Holinka expected to play big role with Czechia World Juniors team

Holinka was listed on the initial Czech roster shared by Honza Zoufal on social media earlier in the week. The lineup is expected to be officially released next week, but we know that Holinka will be joining Canada’s Easton Cowan in the nation’s capital over the Christmas break.

Holinka is having a good year in the WHL, sitting at 21 points in 23 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings. It’s his first year in North America, and the move has allowed him to maximize his ice time. Had he remained in Czechia, he likely would have been stuck deep in the lineup and not get the opportunities he needed to succeed, so the move made sense.

The Kromeriz, Czechia native has been on a bit of a cold streak over the past month or so, but we’ve seen flashes of brilliance with the puck. At this point, a 30-goal, 60-point rookie season isn’t out of the question.

“He looked comfortable quite quickly in Edmonton,” one scout said. “You can tell he’s motivated to stand out and make an impact.”

If Seattle Kraken prospect Eduard Sale isn’t loaned out for Czechia (he’s thriving in the AHL), the Czechs could be in trouble. They have some decent defenders and a goalie in Michael Hrabal who can be a bit too hot-and-cold. But up front, the Czechs are lacking real difference-makers. So that means Holinka could be leaned on to play heavy minutes and contribute in a bigger way than anyone would have expected before the season began.

At the very least, Holinka will have a familiar face beside him. Adam Jecho is a 6-foot-5 power forward that was taken by the St. Louis Blues 95th overall – 56 positions ahead of Holinka. The pair play together with the Oil Kings, so having them stick together for a tournament like this will make it easier for Holinka to make an impact from the get-go.

Holinka isn’t going to drive play – that’s simply not his game. But like Fraser Minten, Holinka 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. His 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.

If you’re more concerned about Holinka as a future NHLer than whether he’ll be a key WJC contributor: look, he’s still far away from even being in the conversation. He’s still not high on Toronto’s depth chart and there’s nothing that really makes him a special prospect at this point. Holinka needs to improve his mobility and his playmaking to be more dangerous, and perhaps another year in the WHL can help that instead of having him turn pro early (assuming the Leafs see a future in him).

Either way, it’ll be worth checking out Czechia’s World Junior games this year.