The 2025 summer is nearing its end, and the Edmonton Oil Kings 2025 training camp is just around the corner. This summer has come with many changes to the Oil Kings roster of players, and many question marks as we approach the WHL season and NHL Training Camps. I’ve already written my breakdown on the biggest name among those question marks in my piece on Gracyn Sawchyn earlier this week. Today, I’m taking a look at the 2 other big names that signed NHL Entry Level Contracts this year.
Adam Jecho was first to sign an entry level contract this year, when he signed his deal to join the St.Louis Blues organization. Miroslav Holinka then followed that same path in July when he signed an entry level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. As European import players, both are not bound by the NHL-CHL agreement requiring that they be 20 years old before going to the AHL. Holinka turns 20 in November, and would count towards the Oil Kings over-age players for the season, Jecho does not turn 20 until March and therefore would not count as over-age.
Below, I will look at each player’s place on their team’s prospect pool, what the depth chart looks like ahead of them on their respective rosters, and what a potential path to the NHL could look like for both players. I’ll finish with my verdicts of where I believe they will go whether they will be “Ascending the Throne” to go play pro, “Defending the Throne” to stay in Edmonton, or “On The Drawbridge” if it’s too close to call. I’m sure Oil Kings fans are dying to know if these 2 Import(ant) players will be returning, so let’s dive into it.
Jecho’s Path Taking Shape
Jecho is a player that should be intriguing for everybody to watch as this year goes on, as he is a 6’5” forward who has displayed the full package at the junior level. Strong skater, adept puck handler, and skilled shooter. During his time in Edmonton he has been just shy of a point per game player, scoring 100 points across 110 games in the last 2 years. He also helped Czechia to a silver medal at the 2023-24 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in his home country, and then earned a Bronze medal with Czechia at the 2024-25 World Junior Champtionships as a key member of the team, scoring 7 points in 7 games.
He was selected in the third round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the St.Louis Blues, and clearly they’ve liked what they have seen from the big forward as they awarded him with his entry level contract midway through his post-draft season. With a new contract in hand could we see Jecho dawn the Blue Note in Missouri this year?
St.Louis is in an interesting position this season as they barely managed to claim the final Western wild card spot last season, and only by winning the tiebreaker over the Calgary Flames. Entering the playoffs as the lowest seed, they matched up with the NHL’s best Winnipeg Jets and fell in the first round in 7 games. They are a young team on the rise with lots of potential for next season.
The Blues signed Pius Suter in Free Agency to round out their depth at Center behind mainstays Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn, and 4th liner Oskar Sundqvist. There is, however, a window of possibility that an incredibly strong showing in training camp and preseason could see Jecho force a decision from St.Louis.
The Blues projected 4th line right now is home to 2 other pending unrestricted free agents, wingers Alexei Torpchenko and Nathan Walker. Toropchenko seems secure for the time being, but Nathan Walker is 31 years old this season, had negative possession stats in 2024-25, and does not appear to be guaranteed that 4th line spot if someone else were to step up and claim it. Enter Jecho, a 19 year old big bodied player who plays a 200 foot game and provides a higher upside scoring touch.
Jecho’s size would be an intimidating presence lined up beside Toropchenko (6’6) and Sundqvist (6’3) that could make a very difficult line for anyone to play against. St.Louis does have more experience players waiting in the wings, though, that Jecho would have to leap over to get to the NHL roster. Mathieu Joseph, Alexandre Texier, and recent free agent signing Nick Bjugstad will all be competing for Walker’s spot on the depth chart, and the Blues have two 2023 first-round picks (Dalibor Dvorsky and Otto Stenberg) who will surely be fighting to make the roster also.
Adam has the skills and the package to be successful at the next level, but at this time it appears that there might just be too much of a logjam in St.Louis to find a spot for him this year. With Dvorsky and Stenberg both in the mix, and a deep prospect pool in Springfield, it would appear that there is no rush for St.Louis to rush Jecho to the pros. For now, he will attend his second year of NHL Training Camp to learn and grow from the very experience coaching team down in Missouri before likely making a return to the Oil Kings for another year in Edmonton.
Verdict: Defending the Throne (Returning to Edmonton)
Holinka Eyes the Throne Ahead
Holinka is a different story entirely, as he enters the 2025 NHL Training Camp as one of the top ranked forward prospects in the Maple Leafs system. Only 2023 first round pick Easton Cowan is higher ranked than Holinka. A high quality 2 way center, who also put up nearly a point per game in Edmonton this season with 45 points in 47 games played. He was also part of the bronze medal Czechia teamat the World Juniors alongside Jecho, as he contributed 4 points across the 7 games in that tournament. So does this mean that Holinka could start the season in Toronto?
Listed at 6’1” and 185lbs, Holinka is definitely on the leaner side and would need to have added some size and muscle to his frame to have a true NHL opportunity this fall. If he shows up to camp showing some signs of growth through the summer, he could get a very serious look.
The Maple Leafs are still in their Win-Now window, and are desperate to make a deep run in the playoffs while Auston Matthews is still in his prime. This was never more evident than by the saga that ended with Mitch Marner being traded to Vegas this year. Now they look like they plan to go forward with a new identity and the same goal in mind. Holinka could find himself a place in those goals.
His competition for a roster spot would have to go through a barrier of NHL veterans to get there. While there may not be any prospect depth in Toronto, they have an abundance of NHL players and not nearly enough roster spots to go around. Players like Nic Robertson and David Kampf are already going to be battling with Dakota Joshua, Steven Lorentz, and Scott Laughton to fill the roster, which doesn’t leave much opportunity for the 19 year old Holinka to plead his case.
Holinka’s unique situation of being both an import and an over-age player this season means a heavy commitment for Edmonton if Toronto were to send him back to juniors for another year. The Oil Kings would have to accept his double status against their over-age and import restrictions. Is Holinka truly worth that price to their roster limits? I don’t believe so. As much as Edmonton fans have enjoyed Holinka during his time here, he’s not a top-tier talent worthy of the cost that comes with retaining an over-age import that has signed a pro contract.
The more realistic option here, is that with so much NHL talent but a very shallow prospect pool in Toronto that Holinka will find himself playing in the AHL for the Toronto Marlies this season. He would be in a position to compete for top minutes on the AHL team, and in a better position to make a case for himself as a late season call up if the Maple Leafs find themselves needing injury coverage at all.
Verdict: Ascending the Throne
Final Thoughts
Wherever the path takes the Czech pair, Oil Kings fans can be proud that we got to see them get there. Through their short time with Edmonton both Jecho and Holinka developed fans from the Edmonton faithful, and I’m sure those fans will be happy to cheer for these two wherever they play this year.
Stay Tuned to Shotgun Sports Network as I continue this series of looking at which Oil Kings players will be returning to The Kingdom for this season.