Prospect Info: Round 1, Pick #19: Jay O'Brien, C, MA-USHS --> Providence U

[deadhead]

There's a simple trick, put on an AHL game and see who, if any, jumps out at you with NHL like talent.
When I watched the Phantoms this year, only three players qualified, Rubtsov, Myers and Lyon.
Kase showed flashes, NAK to me was meh, same with Twarynski, MV, etc.

You can put up good stats in the AHL (and certainly as overage junior and senior college players) without being a good player.
Look at Varone or Brennan for example, look at MV in college, look at Martel in junior.

 

[Tripod]

We as a Flyers fan base have really been spoiled by how well our 1st rounders have panned out thru the last 25 years. We have only had 1 complete miss in Ouellet. We still have the more recent drafts that are still incomplete, but overall, we have drafted great in the 1st rd.

Our next worst guys are Woywitka, Sbisa, Laughton.

 

[Appleyard]

We as a Flyers fan base have really been spoiled by how well our 1st rounders have panned out thru the last 25 years. We have only had 1 complete miss in Ouellet. We still have the more recent drafts that are still incomplete, but overall, we have drafted great in the 1st rd.

Our next worst guys are Woywitka, Sbisa, Laughton.

Yeh, and guys like Laughton, Downie and Sbisa have had better careers already than the average player drafted in their kind of range/spot.

 

[Delete99991]

Soooo... does this guy have a pulse? Or are we looking at Hextall's Ryan Sittler here?

 

[FlyguyOX]

Soooo... does this guy have a pulse? Or are we looking at Hextall's Ryan Sittler here?

Seems like whenever he isn't hurt he isn't producing much. He should go to the OHL at this point tbh. He would be featured more and could work on his skills more.

 

[phil162888]

People shouldn't be worried yet. He was great in summer showcase. Injuries derailed him this year. Lets see how he rebounds in 2019. Kid has some serious skill.

 

[deadhead]

He'll be a 20 year old sophomore next November, which puts him a year behind his peers, given no USHL and a wasted freshman year.
But if he breaks out next year, and has a big junior year at 21, he'd be on schedule to compete for a job in 2021 at the ripe old age of 22.

So it's a bit early to panic.

 

[Tripod]

Awful year. No need to sugar coat it. Needs to rebound big time next year. Luckily, we have a deep prospect base so can wait it out without much issue. But certainly not the year you would expect for an older player in the draft.

 

[Curufinwe]

Hextall looking back at the JOB pick.

 

[FLYguy3911]

He can’t play in the O. He’s a Q guy. Too old anyway.

 

[FlyguyOX]

He can’t play in the O. He’s a Q guy. Too old anyway.

Shit I didn't realize he was so old. Yikes.

 

[Magua]

**** I didn't realize he was so old. Yikes.

It gets worse.

O’Brien has a growth hormone deficiency. He’s actually 42.

But he was also secretly born in the Dominican Republic. So, he lied about being actually 42. He’s actually actually 46.

 

[Curufinwe]

That gave me flashbacks to the hockeybuzz idiot who wasted my time last summer by claiming Provorov was in his mid/late 20s.

 

[FlyguyOX]

In the transfer portal. Going to play in BCHL.

Sheesh

 

[BigToe]

This sucks

 

[Larry44]

Will play for Penticton Vees, a top team.

 

[The Madrigal]

So glad Hextall decided to hold onto that pick rather than trade it in a ''win now'' or ''panic move.''

Hextall gets so much praise for how great he was at drafting, and while I would say he was good, great is a huge stretch. At this time it looks like he absolutely blew two first round picks with Rubtsov and JOB. He also completely shit the bed with the Laberge pick/passing on Debrincat early in the 2nd round the same year he took Rubtsov.

 

[FLYguy3911]

He also took Hart after Laberge when everyone said we have enough goalies.

Rubtsov is still alive I hear.

 

[BringBackHakstol]

Madrigal is King of the hindsight criticisms

Rubstov is not a blown pick

 

[Cootsfanclub]

So glad Hextall decided to hold onto that pick rather than trade it in a ''win now'' or ''panic move.''

Hextall gets so much praise for how great he was at drafting, and while I would say he was good, great is a huge stretch. At this time it looks like he absolutely blew two first round picks with Rubtsov and JOB. He also completely **** the bed with the Laberge pick/passing on Debrincat early in the 2nd round the same year he took Rubtsov.

Laverge looked like a good pick until a cheap shot ruined his career.

 

[wankstifier]

Was Allison a waste of a pick?

Willing to be patient with the lot of them. They’ve got no trade value, so the Flyers pretty much just have to wait and see what develops until options run out.

 

[The Madrigal]

Laverge looked like a good pick until a cheap shot ruined his career.

Plenty of players get cheap shotted and have concussion issues and come back just fine. Most in fact. It's typically the ones like Lindros, Primeau, Savard who suffer multiple concussions who have their careers cut short or ruined as a result. One cheap shot ruining Laberge's career is an excuse for him and the pick.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Was Allison a waste of a pick?

Nope. Highest PPG in the best conference in college hockey in his D+2. Management shouldn’t get blamed for him blowing his knee out and possibly going to UFA as a result.

 

[The Madrigal]

Madrigal is King of the hindsight criticisms

Rubstov is not a blown pick

Thus far, he absolutely has been. He was a first round pick just three years ago and is barely an afterthought when people talk about the Flyers top prospects.

 

[Alex K]

We could pick K'Andre Miller