After a long wait between picks, the Calgary Flames have made another selection at the 2020 NHL Draft. With their fifth round pick, 143rd overall, they have selected forward Ryan Francis from the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Eagles.
Francis, 18, is a fairly typical Flames late round selection.
He’s small at 5’9″ and 175 pounds. That said, the guy can create offense. He enjoyed an offensive breakout in 2019-20 with the Eagles, putting up 24 goals and 72 points in 61 games.
The folks at Elite Prospects have this assessment:
He is a playmaker first and foremost. He moves the puck around opponents by changing the angle of passes; he spins to use his backhand, hooks the puck through the skates of opponents, and shows poise in possession. On any given line, Francis connects plays between teammates.
Francis was the 55th-ranked skater this year by Central Scouting. He was also highly regarded by Elite Prospects (76th), Bob McKenzie (79th), FC Hockey (80th) and Dobber Prospects (93rd). At this point in the draft, he’s a high value pick-up.
