[News] With the 143rd OA pick the Flames select RW Ryan Francis

[psyang]

I remember Theo with a similar picture - was it after the brawl in the world juniors?

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by jg13

https://twitter.com/user/status/1382131496039890944

Steven Anthony and Alexandre Picard-Hooper

Such illustrious company.

[Tkachukwagon]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1382342135677014018

Look at that P2 comparison for Pelletier, that’s right it is a red hot FATA

[Tkachukwagon]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1386466686010675200

[TheScorpion]

I would expect an ELC very soon. He'll be eligible to join the Heat in 2021-22.

[dammage79]

Yeah, there's definitely something big brewing with this kid. And a RHS too boot. Another late round gem by the amateur scouting department.

[Textcritic]

This is looking more and more like a terrific pick.

Fifth round, 33GP 16G 51pts

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[Moneyhands23]

I love the flames scouting staff. Its BT's biggest accomplishment and he should trust them more and never trade away picks

[Sandman]

If all games played were equal, Francis would be top-3 in scoring in the Q (he’s currently 6th). His PPG is on par with first-rounder Dawson Mercer, and greater than that of Mavrik Bourque, and Hendrix Lapierre.

I wonder what Rory Kerins’ stats would look like if the OHL was playing.....

[Moneyhands23]

If we have another couple 3rd-6th rd guys come in it will be well worth building forward through picks and trades

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

If we have another couple 3rd-6th rd guys come in it will be well worth building forward through picks and trades

I agree, but we need to start building some team size. We have some good prospects, but most of them are smurfs. I know, controversial opinion...

[Snuffleupagus]

Not only is Francis the teams best offensive player his 2 way game is becoming outstanding, he leads the team by a lot in +/-

[CSharp]

He can be a mirror image of the Derek Ryan. It's like Derek looks at himself in the mirror and see a younger Ryan Francis and he's a slightly shorter right shot center.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I agree, but we need to start building some team size. We have some good prospects, but most of them are smurfs. I know, controversial opinion...

Issue is guys that are big and skilled go in the top two rounds, you aren't usually finding a skilled big guy in round 3-7.

So then you have two choices.

Draft size for the sake of drafting size in those rounds, knowing that they might be able to be bigger 4th line player but likely won't become a star or skilled guy.

Or take the super skilled small guys and hope that you actually hit on another Gaudreau or Mangiapane.

Sometimes it makes me laugh when I see this fanbase specifically complain about drafting skilled smaller guys in the later rounds when this is a franchise that had Fleury, Gaudreau, and Mangiapane in the later rounds, and should have had Martin St.Louis too.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I agree, but we need to start building some team size. We have some good prospects, but most of them are smurfs. I know, controversial opinion...

We usually have to choose between either small and skilled, or big and unskilled in later rounds. Having seen what we've done with later round picks on "bigger guys" (Hunter Smith, Keegan Kanzig), I'm going to say I'm fine with drafting smurfs in the later rounds if they're skilled. Has worked out for the Flames way more that way than the other way around it seems.

[Jore]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

We usually have to choose between either small and skilled, or big and unskilled in later rounds. Having seen what we've done with later round picks on "bigger guys" (Hunter Smith, Keegan Kanzig), I'm going to say I'm fine with drafting smurfs in the later rounds if they're skilled. Has worked out for the Flames way more that way than the other way around it seems.

Agreed, though Smith was a 2nd round pick and Kanzig was a 3rd rounder. Just horrific.

Anyway, if the team is really good at finding value in the later rounds, the answer isn't to start drafting for size instead, the answer is to develop the players well and managing their value so you can get size back in trades if that's what the team needs.

Whether the team needs size when these prospects make an impact and/or whether we trust the Flames to extract value are definitely debatable.

On Francis: hopefully the Flames give him a shot at C and don't turn another skilled C prospect into a bottom 6 winger

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I agree, but we need to start building some team size. We have some good prospects, but most of them are smurfs. I know, controversial opinion...

I think in the later rounds, if you can get a player with promise that's a win. Big, skilled players usually go in the 1st round. In the salary cap world, it's important to get depth players out of the draft, so I totally understand the strategy of taking someone who can play, even if they are a little short, instead of taking a big dude and hoping they learn how to play.

Also, the league in general is moving more towards speed and skill. Although, it's a copycat league, so that could change depending on who is winning cups LOL

[GioforPM]

Maybe he can pick up another inch or two, but more importantly maybe 20 pounds (muscle not fat).

[Lanny_McDonald]

The pick is an interesting one, and the Flames should be swinging for the fences here and there, but I think everyone should pump the breaks. The QMJHL is a league for small guys and guys that don't play defense. The numbers from Francis are great, but recognize the competition. It is a league where production rarely translates to the next level, let alone the NHL. It really is a shinny league where small guys flourish. For comparison sake here's the guys in front of Francis in scoring.

Cédric Desruisseaux, 5'8, 166 (undrafted, 2000 bday)
Thomas Casey, 5'9, 188 (undrafted, 2000 bday)
Brett Budgell, 6'0, 187 (undrafted, 2001 bday)
Lukas Cormier, 5'10, 176 (VGK, 3rd rnd, #68)
Mathieu Desgagnés, 5'8, 176 (undrafted, 2000 bday)
Ryan Francis, 5'9, 176 (CGY, 5th rnd, #143)

One guy with close to NHL average size. The league is pretty wide open and is set up for small guys to rack up the points. It's not saying that Francis won't carve out a career in pro hockey. Could Francis be one of those small guys who makes it to the NHL? Sure. He reminds me a lot of Mangiapane with better stability. He could go that route. But he could he be nothing more than a replacement for Matthew Phillips in the AHL as Phillips ages out. More likely? We won't know until he plays against men and we see if that skill translates to the next level.

Does Francis have the option of going back to the Q next year, or is this his overage year?

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Maybe he can pick up another inch or two, but more importantly maybe 20 pounds (muscle not fat).

I think when it comes to size, fans put too much importance on height and not enough on weight.

People also assume that anyone who is tall can and will gain weight, but that seldom actually happens.

Elias Pettersson is 6'2 and 176 lbs. He was four years ago. He has had 4 years to put on mass, but he hasn't. I doubt he ever will.
Mangiapane is 5'10 and 184. Mangiapane, regardless of the height, is bigger than Pettersson. And he plays like he's bigger.

Height helps for skating, weight matters for physicality.