MAIN PHOTO: Ryan Francis of Beaver Bank skates over center ice at Center 200 in Sydney in the fall. (Healey photo)
BEAVER BANK: The Cape Breton Eagles have dealt one of their more offensive threats as the QMJHL team looks to the future.
In a deal announced Jan. 18, the Eagles finalized a deal with Maritime counterparts Saint John Sea Dogs sending Ryan Francis of Beaver Bank to the Sea Dogs for Dawson Stairs and three draft picks.
Francis had six goals and 15 assists in 15 games of a COVID19 shortened QMJHL season so far. The Q season is currently on pause for the Maritime teams due to COVID19.
The forward, who is a Calgary Flames prospect after they took him in the fifth round in the 2020 NHL Draft, was a second-round draft pick of the Eagles in 2017.
Eagles general manager Jacques Carrière told the Cape Breton Post’s Jeremy Fraser there was a market for Francis’ services and there were some teams interested.
“There’s no bidding wars going on right now like you would normally see in a trade period because of COVID-19 and some of the uncertainty,” he said. “It’s pretty tough to max out the value where in other years you could go back and forth.”
In 2017, as the Eagles’ head scout, Carrière drafted Francis, 21st overall.
“He’s been a big part of our organization,” said Carrière in the CB Post story. “It was hard (to trade him), but it’s something that has to be done for the team and it gives Ryan a chance to perhaps go and win.”
The deal works out to Francis and a sixth-round pick in 2021 (originally from Quebec) going to Saint John for Stairs, a sixth-round selection in 2022 (Sherbrooke’s); a first in 2023; and a second-round pick in 2023.
Both players will have to follow COVID19 protocol and quarantine for 14 days in their new homes before joining their new teammates on the ice.
