<p>The Toronto Maple Leafs announced a new signing on Saturday, bringing in Western Hockey League (WHL) forward Borya Valis on a three-year entry-level deal to take effect in 2025-26.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🖊 We’ve signed forward Borya Valis to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning at the start of the 2025-26 season. </p>
<p>Details | <a href="https://t.co/ItoabOpoJA">https://t.co/ItoabOpoJA</a> <a href="https://t.co/hFnXyrAvxe">pic.twitter.com/hFnXyrAvxe</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1895874301414260989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Valis, 20, is an overage player currently skating with the Prince George Cougars in what will be his fifth and final season in the WHL. In 57 games, he has 29 goals and 44 assists for 73 points, and he&#8217;s steadily improved year after year in the WHL.</p>
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<p>He&#8217;s either come close to or eclipsed the point-per-game mark in four of his five seasons, and scored nine goals en route to 13 points in 15 playoff games last season. Despite this, he never heard his name called at the draft.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The steal and the finish. 😘👌<a href="https://twitter.com/CarlsJrCA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CarlsJrCA</a> <a href="https://t.co/Jnze2nxYiX">https://t.co/Jnze2nxYiX</a> <a href="https://t.co/5rXsfwSzR8">pic.twitter.com/5rXsfwSzR8</a></p>
<p>&mdash; x &#8211; Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) <a href="https://twitter.com/PGCougars/status/1883358314463187455?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>The Denver, CO native spent his first three WHL seasons playing with the Regina Pats before heading to the Cougars for the 2023-24 season. He&#8217;s been on fire in his last stretch of games, with 11 points in his last seven, which may have played into catching the Leafs&#8217; eye and pushing them to pull the trigger on a contract. His steady increase in goal-scoring year-by-year had to have been encouraging as well, and when you combine that with his size, standing at 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, it&#8217;s a gamble worth taking on a player who will be eligible to report to the AHL next season.</p>
<p>Here is what EliteProspects <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/571887/borya-valis">2023 NHL Draft Guide</a> had to say about Valis.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;Give Valis a bit of space, and he takes the puck straight to the net. He slips away from defenders for chances at the top of the slot, too. Even more impressive as a passer, he sets up chances with quick plays off the boards and deceptive feeds through opponents. He enters every battle with a couple of shoulder-checks, mapping out his options.&#8221;</em></p></blockquote>
<p>Valis will join the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/toronto-marlies-announce-opening-night-roster-2">Toronto Marlies next fall</a> and could find himself as a call-up option if he carries over his momentum from the AHL. His age and size likely give him a leg up on other players in the pecking order for being called up, but he will first have to demonstrate the ability to adapt to the pros.</p>
<p>The Maple Leafs will next be in action on Sunday when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins for a rare afternoon tilt.</p>
<p><strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong></p>
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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced a new signing on Saturday, bringing in Western Hockey League (WHL) forward Borya Valis on a three-year entry-level deal to take effect in 2025-26.

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1895874301414260989

Valis, 20, is an overage player currently skating with the Prince George Cougars in what will be his fifth and final season in the WHL. In 57 games, he has 29 goals and 44 assists for 73 points, and he's steadily improved year after year in the WHL.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
He's either come close to or eclipsed the point-per-game mark in four of his five seasons, and scored nine goals en route to 13 points in 15 playoff games last season. Despite this, he never heard his name called at the draft.

https://twitter.com/PGCougars/status/1883358314463187455

The Denver, CO native spent his first three WHL seasons playing with the Regina Pats before heading to the Cougars for the 2023-24 season. He's been on fire in his last stretch of games, with 11 points in his last seven, which may have played into catching the Leafs' eye and pushing them to pull the trigger on a contract. His steady increase in goal-scoring year-by-year had to have been encouraging as well, and when you combine that with his size, standing at 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, it's a gamble worth taking on a player who will be eligible to report to the AHL next season.

Here is what EliteProspects <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/571887/borya-valis">2023 NHL Draft Guide</a> had to say about Valis.
<blockquote><em>"Give Valis a bit of space, and he takes the puck straight to the net. He slips away from defenders for chances at the top of the slot, too. Even more impressive as a passer, he sets up chances with quick plays off the boards and deceptive feeds through opponents. He enters every battle with a couple of shoulder-checks, mapping out his options."</em></blockquote>
Valis will join the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/toronto-marlies-announce-opening-night-roster-2">Toronto Marlies next fall</a> and could find himself as a call-up option if he carries over his momentum from the AHL. His age and size likely give him a leg up on other players in the pecking order for being called up, but he will first have to demonstrate the ability to adapt to the pros.

The Maple Leafs will next be in action on Sunday when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins for a rare afternoon tilt.

<strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong>
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