Miroslav Holinka is heading into a season that could tell the Toronto Maple Leafs a lot about what they have in the 20-year-old Czech forward.
Selected by the Leafs in the fifth round, 151st overall, of the 2024 Draft, Holinka is now set to start his first full professional campaign with the Toronto Marlies. For a system that does not have many forward prospects this far along in their development, he stands out as one worth tracking closely.
Holinka’s path has already taken him from his home country to North America and through the Western Hockey League, where the Leafs have had a front-row view of his progress. Before being drafted, he had already appeared in 18 games for HC Oceláři Třinec in the Czech Extraliga. In the 2023-24 season, he posted a goal and two assists in 16 games with Třinec before making the move to Canada.
Once he arrived with the Edmonton Oil Kings, his development picked up fast. The Oil Kings took him 14th overall in the 2024 CHL Import Draft, and for a player drafted in the fifth round, the early expectations were modest. Holinka didn’t just meet them - he blew past them.
In his first North American season, he came close to a point per game with 45 points, including 19 goals and 26 assists, in 47 games. Toronto signed him to an Entry-Level Contract in November 2025, and he backed that up with an even bigger second year in Edmonton: 80 points, with 37 goals and 43 assists.
He also added 11 points, seven goals and four assists, in seven playoff games. Holinka then got a taste of pro hockey with the Marlies, recording an assist in his first North American professional game. Toronto sent him back out to rest and train while the Marlies went on to win the Calder Cup, and there was some debate about whether he should have been on that roster.
The thinking at the time was straightforward: if he was going to be limited to bottom-six minutes, it made more sense to let him spend the summer preparing rather than sit in the press box or watch from the bench. This season feels different. Holinka could be in line for a larger role, and he should be fresher when camp opens.
There’s also the physical side of the equation. Holinka already looks built for the pro game at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, a frame that stood out in the Leafs’ rookie camp videos this offseason. He can play both centre and wing, and he appears ready to handle the grind against grown men in the AHL.
At 20, there is still room for him to get bigger, but he already sits around 200 pounds and doesn’t look out of place among professional players. If his scoring touch from junior carries over, the Leafs may have a legitimate NHL prospect on their hands - one who could even earn a call-up this season if injuries open the door.
For a fifth-round pick, that would be a strong outcome. And if Holinka keeps trending the way he has, Toronto could end up with a real diamond-in-the-rough story on its hands.
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