Maple Leafs prospect Miroslav Holinka leads Czechia to victory over Switzerland at World Juniors

Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis is covering the tournament and here’s his analysis of Holinka’s game:

Holinka scored the opening goal after directing a shot from the point by Galvas. He then made an excellent set up on the power play on a pass to Sale in the second period to help double up Czechia’s advantage. Holinka might not be the flashiest or most skilled No. 1 center in the tournament but he’s a tremendous playmaker who loves to make moves in open space and today was a great tournament debut for the Maple Leafs prospect.

Ellis profiled Holinka in December, and here’s a larger scouting report of his game overall:

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.

Holinka was selected 151st overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2024 NHL Draft and has recorded 10 goals and 21 points in 23 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League. The right-handed centre could eventually represent some major return on value for the Maple Leafs. He isn’t an NHL-ready prospect but in a short tournament against his peers, his two-way value and playmaking is more than enough to disrupt some of the best players and biggest names in junior hockey.

Czechia resumes its tournament Saturday against Kazakhstan.