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

[FLYguy3911]

Could be August 2022 if he leaves school and signs elsewhere. Which would be a 2023 2nd rounder. But this is premature.

 

[CapnZin]

Quite disappointing. Understandable since it’s a move to boost his confidence, but it’s a major red flag, to me at least, for how he handles tough times. There are no easy ways out in the NHL. Hmmmm

 

[FLYguy3911]

Quite disappointing. Understandable since it’s a move to boost his confidence, but it’s a major red flag, to me at least, for how he handles tough times. There are no easy ways out in the NHL. Hmmmm

I'm sure there is more to the story than we know.

 

[Tripod]

His rights surely have to expire, which won't be till August, 2023 if he goes back to college after 19-20.

Could be August 2022 if he leaves school and signs elsewhere. Which would be a 2023 2nd rounder. But this is premature.

THanks. Agreed it's too early. I just wasn't sure if there was an "anytime" they could do it, or it would happen organically if they didn't sign him.

As others said, it's not like we are waiting on him to take a roster spot...even a top 9. So at this point, set it and forget it!

 

[CapnZin]

I'm sure there is more to the story than we know.

Naturally, but that’s mainly noise. Everyone goes through hardships, if this is his way of getting through it... all the power to him. However, it comes with its baggage. Hope he turns it around.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

I would be more worried if he just put his head down and pretended nothing was wrong. This is the leverage he had, so this is the route he chose. Now it’s on him to make it work.

 

[Deadpool8812]

yikes....swing and a miss with this guy

oh well, can't win the mall

 

[wasup]

Really disappointed in this move . You should have to at least challenge yourself if you hope to get better . He was a late birthday older kid in high school playing inferior comp .Can't cut it in NCAA so goes back the next year to a junior A league as an overager to play inferior comp once again . He should have been playing USHL when he was a senior in high school . I have no idea who his agent or advisor is but he should be fired .
When we did our prospect ratings on here i had him put down around 7 or 8 and said my main reason for putting him there was he had not proved anything against good comp and had a good arguement with some about this .
You can't see it but i'm patting myself on the back right now . lol

 

[Rebels57]

His season was injury-plagued and I get the impression very difficult mentally.

I can understand wanting to go play in a league where you know you'll get the ice time necessary to find your game again. He can then step up to a more challenging league the following year with more confidence and swagger.

One step back to take two steps forward.

 

[Hockeypete49]

Here's the team announcement: Flyers 1st-round pick Jay O’Brien commits to Vees

Vees' tweet has a little video clip:

I am not ready to give up on the kid.

 

[Larry44]

I am not ready to give up on the kid.

Of course not. He's got speed, skill, style and flair. He needs a healthy season, time to fill out and then we'll see him in Flyers camp after a year in Penticton and a year with Lehigh Valley, maybe two.

 

[The Madrigal]

I read somewhere that Keiffer Bellows is the last guy to go from a poor freshman season in the NCAA'S, back to junior hockey. It resulted in a great season for him in the WHL with Portland, but then a pretty horrible first season in the AHL. Not giving up on JOB after one year but it is certainly alarming. He is going to need to get his mind and body right and dominate the BCHL just to get his career back on track. Even IF he gets to that point it's difficult to have a ton of confidence in him moving forward if Bellows is the comparable.

 

[wasup]

I read somewhere that Keiffer Bellows is the last guy to go from a poor freshman season in the NCAA'S, back to junior hockey. It resulted in a great season for him in the WHL with Portland, but then a pretty horrible first season in the AHL. Not giving up on JOB after one year but it is certainly alarming. He is going to need to get his mind and body right and dominate the BCHL just to get his career back on track. Even IF he gets to that point it's difficult to have a ton of confidence in him moving forward if Bellows is the comparable.

Bellows went to the Dub not junior A .

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Does anyone know if this changes how long they control his rights ?

Edit: Was told Jack LaFontaine did similar to this. Played 1 year in the BCHL and now headed back to a different school.

 

[VladDrag]

Bellows went to the Dub not junior A .

Only going there so he can play NCAA, tho

 

[RonHextall27]

In the back of his mind he must have a plan to go back to school in 20-21 and his is his redshirt season. Either that or he gets a contract offer and turns pro. BCHL keeps the college option alive at the very least. I'd prefer to see him go to the QMJHL at this point, play a pro type schedule at the least.

 

[Foggy14]

So an American hockey player can easily get a visa to play hockey in Canada for a year?

Refugee status?

Quite disappointing. Understandable since it’s a move to boost his confidence, but it’s a major red flag, to me at least, for how he handles tough times. There are no easy ways out in the NHL. Hmmmm

Bellows went to the Dub not junior A .

I thought I read somewhere that a move to a CHL team would have cost O'Brien his college eligibility.

Disappointing, for sure. But if he has a good year in Penticton, and eventually gets back to an NCAA program, he could get things back on track.

Looks like a big swing and a miss from Hextall.

Yeah, we'll see.

I liked Isac Lundestrom at #19 (so did a lot of guys). He had a decent draft + 1 season, but scored in the wrong goal in a critical AHL conference finals game.



With these kids, development is rarely a straight line.

 

[deadhead]

What I don't get, is why bother with college hockey?
It's obviously not for the education, so why not go where it's best for your development.
You get to the NHL, make your money, and if you want to make your parents happy, go back to college when your career is over.

Truth is, college is about getting a degree and making money.
With Google Scholar and Amazon and online courses, if you want an education, get a good laptop and read on the bus rides.

 

[Rebels57]

There was a teammate within stick length of that puck and made no attempt on it. I blame him, not Lundestrom.

 

[flyersfan187]

Hopefully he can be healthy all season. I think that alone will do wonders for him.

 

[wasup]

Only going there so he can play NCAA, tho

Get to the USHL then . There are a few good players on each BCHL but lots of poor ones as well .

 

[wasup]

What I don't get, is why bother with college hockey?
It's obviously not for the education, so why not go where it's best for your development.
You get to the NHL, make your money, and if you want to make your parents happy, go back to college when your career is over.

Truth is, college is about getting a degree and making money.
With Google Scholar and Amazon and online courses, if you want an education, get a good laptop and read on the bus rides.

34 percent of NHL players this last year played in the NCAA , it is a very good development league . It is based on practice and working out to get stronger . You think one year in BCHL and he is ready for NHL ?

 

[deadhead]

No, he should be in the USHL.
College makes sense for 18 year olds who don't want to be lost in the CHL system, college gives them more leverage and allows them to go pro when they want (see Farabee) and to negotiate a year off their ELC. A few even get an education.

However, for JOB, he'll be 20 this November, he'd transfer and be 21 in his first college season. So unless he wants to leave college at 24, he'll have little negotiating leverage.

 

[Foggy14]

There was a teammate within stick length of that puck and made no attempt on it. I blame him, not Lundestrom.

Reb, I was at the game, sitting at that end. It was a real strange play.

I think the discarded stick on the ice in front of the bench crossed Lundeström up more than anything.

Simon Benoît was along the boards waiting for a pass in the Gulls' end, but the stick seemed to cause Lundeström to change the angle on the pass at the last second.

It split Benoît and Trevor Murphy and there wasn't much they could have done.

Really strange, but I still like Isac a lot.

 

[Psuhockey]

If next year counts on his 4 year post draft clock, he will likely never play for the Flyers at least as anything more than a bottom of the roster forward.

Next year in the BCHL is year two. Jumps back to college for year 3. He would have to really dominate that year to leave then. How likely is that? So that means another year in college for which he can walk and become a free agent. Even if he breaks out, he’s gone.