The Toronto Maple Leafs signed forward Miroslav Holinka to a three-year, entry-level contract on Tuesday.
Holinka was selected in the fifth round (No. 151) of the 2024 NHL Draft. After spending two seasons with HC Ocelari Trinec in Czechia, Holinka recorded 19 goals and 45 points in 47 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League during the 2024-25 season. He also recorded a goal and four points in seven games with Czechia at the 2025 World Juniors, where he played extended minutes in a scoring-line role.
The 19-year-old is eligible to play in the AHL during the 2025-26 season, where he could compete for a spot with the Toronto Marlies, although it appears most likely that he’ll spent another season with the Oil Kings as an overage player.
The Leafs Nation ranked Holinka as the organization’s 17th-ranked prospect last summer, and he’s ascending through the team’s prospect pool. Holinka is a 6-foot-2 right-handed centre with some solid scoring touch at the major junior level. He’s an entertaining playmaker, who creates plays in space, and projects to be a defensively-responsible player at the professional level.
The #LeafsForever signed ’24 #151 F Miroslav Holinka to a 3 year entry level contract
Yr 1: $775K Salary, $75K Signing Bonus, $85K Minors
Yr 2: $850K/$80K/$85K
Yr 3: $900K/$75K/$85K$918K Cap hit / AAV
Rep’d by Allan Walsh @OctagonHockey https://t.co/w0j42zCWn8
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 15, 2025
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Here’s what Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis wrote about Holinka’s game in December, ahead of the 2025 World Juniors.
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.
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