The Flyers selected O'Brien with the No. 19 overall selection of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Jay O'Brien, a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers from the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, will be playing in the AHL this season.
Just not with the Flyers' AHL affiliate.
O'Brien, who turns 24 in November, signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Marlies, the club announced Friday morning. The Marlies, of course, are the AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Flyers, five years after selecting him with the No. 19 overall pick of the 2018 draft, opted not to sign O'Brien to an entry-level contract this offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Because the Flyers never signed O'Brien to an entry-level contract, they were awarded a second-round compensatory draft pick in the 2024 draft. Since O'Brien was selected 19th overall, the Flyers' compensatory pick is set to be the 19th selection of the second round (No. 51 overall).
Since being drafted, O'Brien has never appeared in an NHL or AHL game. He spent the last three seasons playing at Boston University, where he logged 26 goals and 70 points in 79 regular-season games. He also played for Providence College during the 2018-19 season, but opted to join the British Columbia Hockey League the following year after posting just five points in 25 games at Providence.