Few Toronto Maple Leafs players have ever been as divisive as Justin Holl. He was a solid enough defender with a right shot. When he played with Jake Muzzin, and both were in top form, they were a stable shutdown pair. But when Holl’s contract expired at the end of the 2022-23 season, he was gone.
What happened to Holl, and why might he have gotten a bad rap with the Maple Leafs?
Holl became a lightning rod for the anger of Maple Leafs fans
Justin Holl was never really a mystery player. He was a right defenseman who played hard minutes, made some very visible mistakes and somehow became the lightning rod for virtually every defensive failure in Toronto for a few seasons. When Holl messed up, it was loud. You noticed. You remembered. And Toronto fans rarely forget.
People remember Holl in a certain way, but that’s only part of the story. For a time, especially when Muzzin was in his prime, the couple settled their affairs. Difficult assignments, eliminating opponents, finishing games – they did not cheat the reporting. When Muzzin went down or played hurt, Holl’s game slumped. Without that stabilizing presence, his weaknesses were exposed. That happens to a lot of defenders, although playing in Toronto rarely gives a player room to make mistakes.
That was Holl’s story. When he played well, few noticed him. When he made mistakes, everyone saw him.
Holl did what he had to do for the Maple Leafs
This is about Holl. If you didn’t notice him, he usually played well. And for an extended period of time, especially later in his Maple Leafs tenure, that happened more often than fans will admit. He wasn’t flashy. He didn’t make a power play. But he skated, defended, leaned on people and survived tough minutes. That has value, even if it’s not a trend on social media.
The Maple Leafs understood that. Kyle Dubas didn’t treat Holl like a top-level blueliner. At the same time, he wasn’t a throwaway extra either. He paid him for what he was: a hard-working defenseman worth two million dollars. Not a bargain, nor an albatross. Just fair value.
That’s why Holl was protected in Seattle’s expansion draft, even at the cost of losing Jared McCann. McCann, as Maple Leafs fans will all remember, went on to star for the Kraken. In retrospect, the decision to lose McCann seems painful. But at the time it made sense. Holl was coming off one of his best seasons, proving he could handle late-game defensive work and playing a position teams covet.
Holl brought value to the Maple Leafs “Room”
There is also the human side. Holl was loved by his teammates. Teammates mentioned him in those crazy post-practice clips: the best laugh, the weirdest snacks, the best to sit on a plane with. Those kinds of things are more important than fans like to admit. Teams are not spreadsheets. They are ecosystems.
Looking back now, it’s easy to say the Maple Leafs got it wrong. Maybe. But it’s also easy to forget what Holl actually gave them: stability, minutes and competence in a role that few players want and fewer fans appreciate.
Where is Holl playing these days?
At 33 years old, Holl is in the final season of his contract with the Red Wings. He was cleared for waivers and is now playing in Grand Rapids. In 22 games, he has two goals and eight points. Unless a team suddenly needs a right-handed defenseman from below – which seems unlikely – this could be the final chapter of a career that has always been on the brink.
And yes, almost as an afterthought, he was a right-wing defenseman. This competition alone will keep you working for a long time. Sometimes the player fans love to hate is just doing his job.
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