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Jay: Leafs Move on From Dubas-Era Pick, Sign Two-Way Prospect |
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A Sign of the Times: Leafs Move on From Dubas-Era Pick, Sign Two-Way Prospect
The Toronto Maple Leafs made only three picks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The team's top pick that year, Matthew Knies, continues to flourish in the NHL, while the remaining two selections have always been longshots to make the league. Now, the path to the NHL for one of those picks has just gotten even longer.
Yesterday, the Leafs announced they had placed former fifth-round pick Ty Voit on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract. Voit had shown serious promise after putting up a 105-point season in 2022-23. However, multiple shoulder injuries derailed his development before ultimately forcing him to undergo surgery.
Voit was a prototypical Dubas-era draft pick: extremely high skill and a strong skater, but with a frame far from NHL-ready. Voit stands at 5'10" at most, making it difficult to break into the league, but it was his 157-pound frame that made his NHL dreams even more unlikely. Despite attending multiple training camps, Voit was never able to put on the muscle needed to make himself successful.
With Brad Treliving and Craig Berube looking to implement a more physical brand of hockey, letting Voit go made perfect sense. The move frees up Voit’s contract slot, which the team immediately used to sign 2024 fifth-round pick Miroslav Holinka. The 19-year-old made the decision to move to North America last season to play in the WHL, where he took major steps forward.
In 47 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings, Holinka scored 19 goals and added 26 assists. He also had an impressive showing at the World Juniors for the Czech Republic, scoring 4 points in 7 games. Holinka struggled in the playoffs, registering no points. As the season wore on, it became clear that he was running out of gas while transitioning to the North American style of play.
Perhaps the most intriguing part about Holinka is his eligibility to play at the professional level as early as next season. Holinka can play as an overage player in either the ECHL or AHL, something the Leafs organization covets. When he was drafted, European Scout Sam Tirpak had the following to say about him:
“Miroslav Holinka
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