The Maple Leafs made long-term commitments to Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Is it enough to remake the look and feel of Toronto's defense? Have the Toronto Maple Leafs found another hidden gem in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft? Fifth-round pick (151st overall) Miroslav Holinka is off to an outstanding start ahead of his 2024-25 campaign. Holinka, currently playing for the Czech Republic U20 team, is competing in the Friendly International tournament. The event is used for exhibition games or ‘friendlies’ between national teams, helping to further prepare for tournaments, player evaluation, and training sessions for players before they dive into their respective regular seasons. Playing on what looked like curling ice, Holinka scored the first goal for Czechia in the team’s 4-2 loss to Switzerland on Wednesday. Czechia bounced back on Friday, beating Switzerland 5-3, with Holinka scoring the team’s lone goal [https://x.com/CZprospects/status/1815026011177623611] in their 4-1 loss to Finland on Sunday. The 6-foot-1 forward has played for the HC Ocelari Trinec in Czechia for the past two seasons, splitting time between the professional team and the U20 squad. Appearing in just 16 games for the top club, he scored a goal and two assists, earning a call-up due to his performance at the U20 level. Competing with players around his age, he tallied 20 goals and added 21 assists for 41 points in 29 regular season games. In the postseason, he produced at a near point-per-game pace, scoring six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 15 games. The prospect attended the Leafs’ development camp in early July, showcasing his goal-scoring abilities. In a performance similar to his display in the Friendly International, Holinka scored two goals for ‘Team Blue’. The 18-year-old made no mistake with the puck centered in front, burying a quick one-timer off a feed from first-round pick (31st overall) Ben Danford for his first goal of the scrimmage. His second was on a partial breakaway which saw him show poise, faking a pass, and beating out Marco Costantini glove side. Hayley Wickenheiser, the Maple Leafs' assistant general manager of player development, called Holinka a “bright spot in camp [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAb2CflRyNI]” due to his “nice hands” and added, “You can really tell he’s played professional men’s hockey. Just his habits, his details of the game, some of the plays he makes.” Former director of scouting Wes Clark stated post-draft that the Czechia forward had "high intelligence. And he can zip the puck. Good shooter, real good shooter. Pretty good size. We really like his intelligence." [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hJ7cdEQbc8[/embed] While it’s unclear whether Holinka will play in North America in 2024-25, he has options in the USHL or the CHL. In the USHL, he was selected by the Waterloo Black Hawks in May, before being taken by the Leafs in June. A few days following the NHL Entry Draft, the Edmonton Oil Kings drafted him in the CHL Import Draft, hoping he would be on their opening night roster in the fall. President and general manager Kirt Hill said, “We believe this will be a great place for him to continue his development as a player in preparation for pro hockey. He is a player with a great shot and good offensive instincts. We are excited to incorporate him into our lineup this fall,” on the club’s website [https://chl.ca/whl-oilkings/article/oil-kings-select-maple-leafs-prospect-holinka-in-chl-import-draft/#:%7e:text=Holinka%20(6'1%E2%80%9D%2F,and%20General%20Manager%20Kirt%20Hill.]. Time will tell which path Holinka chooses, but the CHL would provide ample opportunity in Edmonton. Though he hasn’t indicated a preference, it’s expected he may end up there. For now, still years away from the NHL, his development and goal-scoring ability have put him on the radar across Leafs nation. At 18, there is plenty of room for growth, especially considering the professional experience he already has on his resume. 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