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Maple Leafs Prospect Roundup: Leafs sign Valis, Cowan’s big night, Niemelä on the way out?
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Photo credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff
Nick Richard
Mar 4, 2025, 07:00 ESTUpdated: Apr 8, 2025, 15:49 EDT
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The Leafs have been among the league’s contenders for several years now, and naturally, they have shipped out draft picks and prospects year after year in the pursuit of a deep playoff run. It hasn’t paid off for them yet, and it has made it difficult to keep the cupboards stocked with fresh, young talent, forcing the Leafs to look at other avenues to add prospects to their pipeline, such as signing undrafted free agents like Alex Steeves and Jacob Quillan out of the NCAA, or dealing late picks for long-shot prospects from other teams, such as Cade Webber.
Brad Treliving and his staff made one such move this past week, signing undrafted 20-year-old forward Borya Valis of the Prince George Cougars in the WHL. Considered one of the top undrafted free agents in the CHL, Valis adds to the depth of the Leafs’ system.
A native of Denver, Valis stands 6’2″ and weighs in at just over 190 pounds. He has found success at the junior level on the strength of his middle-driven, power forward style of play. Valis registered 26 goals and 44 assists in 67 games between Regina and Prince George a season ago, and he has improved upon those numbers in his first full season with the Cougars, currently sitting third in team scoring with 30 goals and 44 assists in 58 games.
Valis is a strong skater who likes to power his way to the opposing net, where he has proven more than capable of converting on the quality scoring chances that he creates. He shows some playmaking creativity and problem-solving skills, but he can still try to make too much happen on his own at times, and that will be an area of focus as he continues to develop. Valis doesn’t shy away physically, but he could be more consistent in that regard, and he will have to continue improving his defensive reads at the pro level.
Ultimately, Valis is still very much a project, but there are elements in his game that could eventually make him an effective bottom six forward with a bit of scoring touch. His entry-level contract with the Leafs is set to kick in for the beginning of next season, where he should get a look in training camp before beginning his professional career with the Marlies.

Notes from the rest of the prospect pool:

  • It was a big weekend for top prospect Easton Cowan. He had a goal and probably deserved another point or two in a blowout win over Owen Sound on Friday, added a pair of helpers in a losing effort against Niagara on Saturday, and finished off a hat trick with the overtime winner against Ben Danford and the Oshawa Generals on Sunday night. Cowan isn’t going to replicate his gaudy totals from a year ago, but it has still been a productive season for the 2023 first-rounder with 24 goals and 27 assists in 39 games.
  • It’s been a tough go for Fraser Minten since rejoining the Marlies following his latest stint with the big club. He went seven games without a point but put together an impressive outing against Laval on Wednesday, notching a goal and two assists while firing five shots on goal. Bouncing back and forth between the AHL and NHL can make it tough for a young player to find consistency, but Minten has had a solid season, now with 13 points in 25 games for the Marlies, to go along with four points in 15 games for the Leafs.
  • The points have been tough to come by for 2024 first-round pick Ben Danford, but he picked up an assist in Sunday’s OT loss to Cowan and the Knights, bringing him up to five goals and 17 assists through 55 games. Where Danford has really made an impact this season is with his committed defensive style and punishing physical play, and it once again led to him having to drop the gloves in a game against Brampton a couple of weeks ago.
  • Similarly to Minten, Dennis Hildeby has had a difficult time getting his feet under him between recalls to the NHL, but he had a stellar outing in a 2-1 shootout victory over Manitoba on Saturday. He stopped 30 of the 31 shots he faced in regulation and overtime, and he shut down both attempts that he faced in the shootout to secure the win. For the season, Hildeby owns a 2.73 GAA and a .900 SV% in 17 games for the Marlies.
  • In our recent update to the Leafs Prospect Rankings, I noted that Topi Niemelä’s time in the organization could be coming to an end, and a report from Sport Expressen on Monday indicated that to be the case. According to the Swedish outlet, Niemelä has already made it clear that he intends to return to Europe after his entry-level contract expires at the end of this season and that he has already verbally agreed to join Luleå in the SHL. That report was immediately contested with Joshua Kloke of The Athletic reporting that Niemelä’s agent said there is “no truth” to the rumour that his client is slated to return to European pro hockey. Niemelä’s situation will be one to monitor heading into the offseason.
  • It was another solid week of production from the blue line for Lethbridge Hurricanes captain, Noah Chadwick. He had an assist on Wednesday, another in Friday’s contest, and then scored his 12th goal of the season in a 5-1 win over Regina on Saturday. So far this season, Chadwick has 49 points in 59 games.
  • Miroslav Holinka continued his strong rookie season in the WHL with a three-point night against Prince Albert on Friday. He scored his 16th goal of the season and added a pair of assists, bringing him up to 39 points in 41 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings this season. Holinka has been an important piece of the Oil Kings’ lineup all season, and while he is likely destined for another year of junior hockey, he is a candidate for an entry-level contract before next season.
Statistics from EliteProspects.com
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