Sea Dogs make major deal with Eagles

The Saint John Sea Dogs made a major trade on Monday, acquiring Calgary Flames prospect Ryan Francis from the Cape Breton Eagles.

In exchange for Francis, the Sea Dogs traded forward Dawson Stairs; a first-round pick in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft; and a second-round pick in 2023 to the Eagles. The teams also swapped draft picks with a sixth-round pick in 2022 (Sherbrooke) going to Cape Breton in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2021 (Quebec).

Francis, 19, has six goals and 15 assists in 15 games this season. He recorded 24 goals and 72 points in 61 games last season. He should make an instant offensive impact on the Sea Dogs, something the team has been in need of - especially with overage import Vladislav Kotkov not in the lineup.

“Ryan is an offensive threat and a game breaker,” Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie said in a news release. “We have seen that firsthand playing against him in the same division and it will be nice to now have him in our lineup. We anticipate that Ryan will be a two-year player for us and one of the most impactful 20-year-old players in the league next season, which we value greatly.”

#Flames prospect Ryan Francis has been acquired by the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL: https://t.co/N5PdH7xamy

Take a look a few of his best plays from his time in Cape Breton! pic.twitter.com/MvKEgvVixS

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) January 18, 2021

Unless other moves are move, this deal pretty much solidifies Saint John's overage group for next season: Francis, forward Nicholas Girouard and defenseman Christopher Inniss. Not bad.

Francis was a second-round pick of the Eagles in the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft and a fifth-round pick of the Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft.

The Sea Dogs don't deal away picks like this without doing their homework - and this seems like a trade that will make a positive impact immediately. There are still valid concerns about the team's defensive play and it'll be interesting to see if the Dogs choose to make any changes on the backend. They are clearly not afraid of making big moves during this odd and unpredictable season.

Stairs leaves the Sea Dogs having recorded 20 goals and 18 assists in 87 games over parts of three seasons. The 18-year-old could never quite find his offensive groove in Saint John and made his way up and down the lineup. He's obviously still young and now heads to a team that may have more room for him to show off his offensive upside.

The QMJHL's trading period ends on Jan. 25.