Toronto Maple Leafs Sign 20-Year-Old Forward to a New Deal
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a bit of a splash in the free agent market on Saturday and announced they have signed undrafted forward Borya Valis to a contract.
It might not be the move that we expected Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs to pull off, but they made a small free agent signing on Saturday morning, as the team announced they had signed forward Borya Valis to a three-year deal.
The 20-year old is in his final season of major junior hockey, and will more than likely join the club next season, and at least get a look at training camp.
So what can the Maple Leafs expect from Valis?
Who Is Borya Valis?
Valis, 20, hails from sunny Los Angeles, California and is a jack of all trades, master of none when it comes to his skillset.
He can score, he can throw hits, he skates well, but isn't a game changing prospect and could find himself hanging about a revamped Maple Leafs fourth line in a couple of years.
But his prospective offensive potential is pretty tantalizing, as he has 73 points in 57 games with Prince George this season and has enjoyed a very solid WHL career.
In 236 games with Regina and Prince George, Valis has 86 goals and 130 assists and could be a great addition to the bottom-half of Toronto's lineup.
Valis was part of the Detroit Red Wings rookie camp prior to the season starting, but never signed a deal with the team.
He won't be on the level of an Easton Cowan or Fraser Minten and probably won't play any meaningful minutes unless he explodes out of training camp and impresses enough to warrant a look.
If Brad Treliving wants to keep adding players like Valis, he's got Charles-Edouard D'Astous as well as NCAA standout Luke Haymes available as well, and adding both would bring a trio of exciting future prospects to the Marlies and fingers crossed; the Maple Leafs.
