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

[Striiker]

Laughton was also really good last year, so bashing him is odd.

 

[Flyerfan13]

I dont understand why some posters hate a pick when clearly our scouts have followed this kid and have far more information on him than any of us could and believe he is the best available.

 

[Tripod]

I went t see the St.L reaction to our pick, but of course the website was down during that time. Saw this when it came to OBrien.

Man, **** philly. Seriously. They've been killing it lately draft-wise. Great pick for them. One more player I hoped the Blues might draft.

Lot of players I like getting selected in O'Brien, Dellandrea, Kaut, and Denisenko. Wouldn't really mind if we traded the pick at this point unless someone like Bokk is still available.
​

 

[Tripod]

I dont understand why some posters hate a pick when clearly our scouts have followed this kid and have far more information on him than any of us could and believe he is the best available.

Because "consensus".

I posted it before that 1 scout said there were 50 1st rounders this year....saying that it was all over the map and little separating those 50 guys.

If someone like Magua had been talking him up over the last month, people would be happy as hell. This is were we need to trust the scouts as they obviously see something in him special. They were right with Frost, let's see if they are right again.

Also, as stated, Button had him at 26. So it's not a total out of left field pick.

 

[Hammer Slammer]

I didn't get around to posting this last night because the board took a giant shit during the draft, but here are 3 shift by shift videos on him. 2 with the U18 program and a high school game.

Jay O’Brien – ProspectShifts.com

 

[CutOnDime97]

Because "consensus".

I posted it before that 1 scout said there were 50 1st rounders this year....saying that it was all over the map and little separating those 50 guys.

If someone like Magua had been talking him up over the last month, people would be happy as hell. This is were we need to trust the scouts as they obviously see something in him special. They were right with Frost, let's see if they are right again.

Also, as stated, Button had him at 26. So it's not a total out of left field pick.

And Magua even had him at 29.

It seems that there was just very little separating the middle prospects of this draft.

 

[CS]

Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Laughton is another example that didn't pay off... and Giroux was also a reach, kinda, and it paid more that anything we can hope for. High risk, high potential reward. As I said, I think we can afford it right now.

You don't have to be a PPG player to "pay-off." I'd say Laughton's pretty good and really could cement our bottom six for a long time.

 

[Stizzle]

He played high school hockey. Do people really think most Joe Average non-NHL affiliated scouts even saw him? He played in the American Top prospect game way back in September. Past that, his exposure was next to nothing.

Did NHLN even air that game this year? I don't recall for certain but I'm thinking they didn't.

 

[Striiker]

He played high school hockey. Do people really think most Joe Average non-NHL affiliated scouts even saw him? He played in the American Top prospect game way back in September. Past that, his exposure was next to nothing.

Did NHLN even air that game this year? I don't recall for certain but I'm thinking they didn't.

Exactly.

Which is why I challenged anyone complaining about the kid to speak up if they saw even one single game of his.

So far, no takers.

 

[Tripod]

And Magua even had him at 29.

It seems that there was just very little separating the middle prospects of this draft.

Exactly. It's also why a team like Montreal could have a great day today since they have 4 2nd rounders and 5 of the next 35 picks. They could get nice little haul of middle 6 forwards or middle 4 dmen with upside.

 

[FLYguy3911]

I don't think people realize how talented you have to be to just get consideration as a 1st round pick if you are playing High School hockey.

 

[sa cyred]

in the draft full of dman we picked a low ranking forward... should of make a safe pick and safe pick....

Why are we taking a low upside safe pick at 19 when we can do that anywhere else if we really want to?

This kid’s skill is unbelieveable. I was talking to a few different scouts on my Twitter last night (one who was a huge fan of Frost and convinced me last year he was good) and they think Flyers got a potential steal at 19. If this kid hits, he could be a extremely good top 6 forwards.

 

[Cyborg LeClair]

One would think that after Frost last year, they would know not to overreact when Hextall goes off the board.

I was really deadset on Berggren, but after everything Ive seen and read on this kid, he seems like the American Berggren. I'm very excited by this pick. What helped a lot in making me feel confident right away was how excited Pierre got after that pick. He may be incredibly annoying to listen to, but a lot of times he DOES know what he's talking about. Especially when it comes to obscure players. He certainly feels we're getting an incredible player and I'm inclined to believe him.

This kid seems fast, smart, creative, and he's a goal scorer.

Great pick. I predicted earlier wed go off the board and take Foudy- i like O'Brien even more

 

[Tripod]

Just look what Last Word on Hockey says about him. And they have a 15 minute clip of him.

Jay O'Brien Scouting Report: 2018 NHL Draft #34 - Last Word on Hockey

O’Brien is an excellent skater. He has very good top-end speed and reaches it in just a few strides. His first step is very quick and allows him to gain separation from his opponents. He can create odd-man rushes and breakaways with that speed. He also can beat defenders to the outside and get to the net. O’Brien also has very good agility and edgework. He beats defenders in one-on-one situations.

O’Brien marries his excellent skating ability with very good stickhandling. He is able to handle the puck at top speed and make moves on defenders. He has the skill to get by a defender, cut to the net, and the soft hands to beat the goaltender. O’Brien also has an excellent wrist shot. He can score from the top of the circles. His release is quick and is also deceptive for goaltenders. O’Brien has a knack for getting open and finding the soft spots in the defence. This allows him to get off a quick wrist shot or one-timer.

O’Brien is much more of a goal scorer than a playmaker at this point. However, he does have some decent playmaking ability. Off the rush, he uses changes in speed and quick cuts to open up passing lanes and get the puck to a linemate. He anticipates plays well and makes the smart pass. However, O’Brien doesn’t seem to be the type of passer to put the puck through really tight areas or have a lot of saucer passes. Instead, he needs to create the lane to make the play. With his skating and stickhandling, he’s been able to make that happen though.

in the defensive zone. He is willing to backcheck and support the defence down low. However, playing in prep school hockey means that he hasn’t had the opportunity to work on his defensive fundamentals. Positioning and anticipation are areas that he could use some good coaching in. At the level he’s been playing, he has been on the offence nearly every time he is on the ice. O’Brien has the potential to be a strong two-way player, but will need work.

O’Brien is a project. He will need some time to adjust to faster games, and to the level of competition, he will face in the NCAA. Expect him to spend a year or two in college before moving on to the pros. There is high-end potential though, and this could be a very good risk/reward type pick for a team. O’Brien’s game is reminiscent of Nathan MacKinnon, however, this is just a stylistic comparison and not one based on potential or ability.


Lots of people have been wanting a guy with high end upside and skill and a goal scorer. Well this seems to be it. It just was not the guy that most expected or hoped it would be.

 

[AndHeMissedTheNet]

Like a lot of people on here, i knew nothing about this kid. But if their other 1st round "reaches" in recent memory are anything to go by, i have no reason not to feel good about this pick.

Seems like he's further away than just about any 1st rounder they've taken since Morin, but still, can't argue with upside.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

going to HockeyEast and playing against kids older then him will be good for him. Just like Farabee.
We will see how much playing time either kid gets as Freshman playing in one the best college hockey leagues in the Country. I hope I can have some time this fall and winter to go watch the kids play live.

 

[MacDonald4MVP]

Is it fair to say this kid is two years away

Spoiler

"from two years away?"

 

[Rebels57]

I have no opinion on this pick yet. Haven't even watched a highlight clip let alone a game. Since we got the guy I wanted at 14, I am totally fine with trusting them reaching on a late-riser.

Obviously, I wish they reached on Berggren, but after going LW at 14, i'm not surprised they went C at 19.

 

[sa cyred]

College hockey will be fun to watch again next year. We can add PB, Farabee and Noah Cates to the list.

Also obviously a lower chance all 3 will make it but potentially 3 players on the U20 USA team.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Seems like he's further away than just about any 1st rounder they've taken since Morin, but still, can't argue with upside.

Not necessarily. He'll be playing in the same league as Farabee next year. It's not like he's going to play junior hockey before going to college like Cates.

 

[He Is Knocking]

Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Laughton is another example that didn't pay off... and Giroux was also a reach, kinda, and it paid more that anything we can hope for. High risk, high potential reward. As I said, I think we can afford it right now.

I've seen the criticism of picking Laughton by others before....
1.IMO looking at the 2012 draft their wasn't much behind him that jumped out and I do believe we'll see better results from SL.
2.It's unfair to saddle the current regime with the SL pick because Hextall didn't pick him nor was Chris Pryor in his current position at the time.

 

[CS]

I have no opinion on this pick yet. Haven't even watched a highlight clip let alone a game. Since we got the guy I wanted at 14, I am totally fine with trusting them reaching on a late-riser.

Obviously, I wish they reached on Berggren, but after going LW at 14, i'm not surprised they went C at 19.

Having Farabee fall right where they could grab him probably opened up a lot of possibilities in the late round. If you don't get that high-end winger up front, you might have to act a little more conservatively at 19. Because you get something you need early, you can take a little bit of a risk later.

Analyzing our 25U "big deal or close" forwards though...

Sean Couturier (25)
Michael Vecchione (25)
Scott Laughton (24)
Taylor Leier (24)
Nicolas Aube-Kubel (22)
Travis Konecny (21)
Oskar Lindblom (21)
Mikhail Vorobyev (21)
Nolan Patrick (19)
Morgan Frost (19)
German Rubtsov (19)
Joel Farabee (18)
Jay O'Brien (18)

We're starting to pack our ranks a bit. That's excluding quite a few names as well.

My guess is we go defense with 50, but we're pretty much stacking up prospects at this point. You can reach now if you're Hextall.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

I think the only reason some people are disappointed is because O'Brien wasn't a popular name (similar to the Frost situation).

Not many draft rankings or sites had him as a first-rounder, so fans were caught off guard taking him as high as 19. And it's natural to want one of "your guys."

Watch the videos -- O'Brien oozes talent. Fast, low to the ground, quick hands, quick shot. The hard part is simply accounting for his level of competition. The Flyers' scouts are in a better position to make that read and have been scouting the US pretty well. If they think O'Brien is worthy of 19 despite playing in HS, I'm on board with it. If his skills do translate against better competition, you got a heck of a player at 19.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

the low ranking likely has to do with him playing high school hockey. The kid has really good upside, even if it may take a couple of years to see it at Providence. I didnt watch a ton of Providence hockey this year so I dont know how their roster shakes out and the possibility of him getting into a scoring role right away.

 

[Striiker]

I have no opinion on this pick yet. Haven't even watched a highlight clip let alone a game. Since we got the guy I wanted at 14, I am totally fine with trusting them reaching on a late-riser.

Obviously, I wish they reached on Berggren, but after going LW at 14, i'm not surprised they went C at 19.

I know a lot of people wanted Berggren, but it's slightly encouraging to know we picked someone who was in demand and it's not like the guy we passed on was scooped up immediately after us. If it was the opposite, it would feel more like we missed out on something.