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The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has drafted and developed a number of youngsters currently playing in the NHL (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander), but the focus of prospect development under former GM Kyle Dubas and the last few seasons under Director of Amateur Scouting Wes Clark seemed to be on skill players, while GM Brad Treliving has begun to transition with a focus on young players with size.
As we did last year, we will rank the club’s top prospects over the upcoming weeks based on their progress in either the NCAA, CHL, Europe, ECHL or AHL and their potential to make the Leafs roster and contribute in the future.
Youngsters like Bobby McMann, Joseph Woll, Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, and top-rated Matthew Knies have graduated, but here is a list of players eligible for the list who have not played more than 40 NHL games and are 25 years old or younger:
#40 - Wyatt Schingoethe – C (Western Michigan – NCAA)
#39 - Zach Solow - RW (Toronto - AHL)
#38 - Semyon Kizimov - RW -(Yekaterinberg - KHL)
#37 - Robert Mastrosimone – LW. (Toronto – AHL)
#36 - Marko Sikic – RW (Sarnia – OHL, Newfoundland/Norfolk – ECHL)
#35 – Jacob Bengtsson – D (Boston College – NCAA)
#34 – Nicolas Mattinen – D (Straubling – Germany-DEL)
#33 – Matthew Barbolini – F (Miami(OH) – NCAA, Toronto – AHL)
#32 – Nathan Mayes – D (Spokane – WHL)
#31 – Braeden Kressler – C (Flint/Ottawa – OHL
#30 – Jacob Frasca – C (Barrie/ Sault Ste. Marie.- OHL)
#29 – Chas Sharpe – D (Mississauga – OHL, Toronto – AHL)
#28 – Hudson Malinoski – C (Providence – NCAA)
#27 – John Fusco – D (Dartmouth – NCAA
#26 – Semyon Der-Argushintsev (Chelyabinsk Traktor – KHL)
#25 – Ty Voit – RW – (Newfoundland, ECHL, Toronto – AHL
#24 – Mikko Kokkonen – D – (Toronto – AHL)
#23 – Matt Lahey – D – (Nanaimo – BCHL)
#22 – Sam McCue – LW (Peterborough/Owen Sound – OHL)
#21 – Victor Johansson – D (Leksands Jr. – Sweden)
#20 - Alexander Plesovskikh - LW (Khanty-Mansiysk Yugra - VHL)
#19 - Miroslav Holinka – C (Trinec Ocelari HC U20 – Czechia)
Holinka was the first of three Maple Leafs fifth-round picks (151st overall) at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. The 6’1”, 185 lb. forward played for Czechia at the IIHF Under-18’s in 2023, scored 20 goals in 29 games for HC Ocelari Trinec juniors last season, and also played 16 games in the top level of the Czechia Extraliga.
The 18-year-old is described as an intelligent two-way forward with excellent defensive instincts. The Hockey Prospect Black Book says Holinka “is a player who has offensive potential, but also has many translatable skills as a player that should the offensive talent not translate, he could still become a strong defensive forward at the NHL level,” while the Elite Prospects Draft Guide said “Holinka will have to develop a more dynamic skating ability and increase the pace to his game…. He also needs to develop his awareness, puck protection ability, and short-passing game.”
The expectation was for Holinka to return to Czechia and play for Ocelari’s top-level club and possibly for his country at the 2025 IIHF World Juniors in Ottawa this December, but after being selected by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the CHL Import Draft, the young forward will be coming over to North America to play in the WHL.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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