Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Miroslav Holinka is headed back to juniors for another season.
On Sunday, the team announced that Holinka has been assigned to the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings after participating in Leafs training camp. He did not make a preseason appearance.
Holinka was selected by the Maple Leafs in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL entry draft. Originally from Kromeriz, Czechia, he first played in his home country before joining the Oil Kings last season. In his debut North American season, he had 19 goals and 45 points in 47 games with Edmonton. He’ll look to keep building on that offensive production in returning to juniors again this year.
In August, Holinka landed eighth on The Leafs Nation’s 2025 summer prospect rankings. At the time, he was expected to be starting the year with the Marlies, after proving what he can do in juniors. But there were also concerns about what kind of ice time he would earn in the pros and if it may hamper his development. Ultimately, it looks like the Maple Leafs have opted to give him more time in the WHL to make sure he’s fully ready to make a run at the AHL down the line. In all likelihood, we’ll see him suit up for the Marlies at the end of the year when the Oil Kings season is done.
In his own Maple Leafs prospect review, The Nation Network’s Steven Ellis wrote the following about 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.
While he won’t be appearing at Coca-Cola Coliseum just yet, it’s only a matter of time before the 19-year-old prospect finds himself in a Marlies jersey. In the meantime, he’ll keep looking to improve in the WHL. Working with a Czechia-born development coach in Ladislav Smid, the Oil Kings may be just the right environment to push his game to the next level.
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