Miroslav Holinka was drafted by the Leafs last summer in the fifth round, 151st overall.

Some small but interesting tidbits from Toronto's mini press release about the news, they listed him as 6'2" and 202 lbs. They just saw him at their development camp, so it would appear that he has grown another inch and put on almost 20 lbs since last year. A good sign for further development in his game that involves his physical tools.

Getting to Know Miroslav Holinka
Taking a look at the scouting reports and highlights of Toronto’s fifth round pick out of Czechia, 6′1″ center with great hands and a good shot: Miroslav Holinka. He may have struggled to make it in the Czech pro league this year, but we may be seeing him up and close sooner rather than later.
PPP LeafsBrian S

After being drafted, Holinka attended the development camp last year and he turned heads. He got a callout by Hayley Wickenheiser, and me (totally equal weight for those two opinions lol). He was then taken by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the CHL import draft. He committed there, and had a nice season with 19 goals and 45 points in 47 games. He added 9 points in 12 games for Czechia's U20 junior team in various tournaments, then had 4 points in 7 games at the World Juniors as one of their top centers.

Holinka's season was interesting. He didn't have a big offensive explosion like I would have expected for an older D+1 player, but he emerged as a very strong two-way center. He played as a middle six center for Edmonton and got heavier defensive usage than their top offensive line. But his impacts were excellent, especially on transitions and defense. A good chunk of his offense came from the powerplay, where he was also very strong because of his passing and the threat of his shot.

Offensively as a whole, Holinka did finish third on the team in points per game (he missed more games than the others because of the World Juniors and an injury). But his shot rate was pretty low. The good news is that, when the other top players were out and he got a run as the 1C, he was more offensively dominant. When he wasn't, he seemed to defer and play more safe and defensive.

It looks like Holinka will stay at Edmonton for another year, since they didn't take anyone new at this year's import draft, and if he does he should have a bigger role as their other top centers aged out and either left for college or turned pro. So he should be their top center next year, with a mostly young but potentially exciting roster around him. He will be a bit older and will have the chance to be a leader on the ice. I'm looking forward to seeing what other steps he can take in his game this year!

Tracking data from Mitch Brown

Congrats, Miro!

Maple Leafs Prospects