O’Brien could be goal scorer Habs need

Prep school centre has the skill set for NHL game

During the weeks leading up to the NHL Entry Draft, we’re taking a look at players who might be selected by the Montreal Canadiens. The team has five selections in the first two rounds, including the No. 3 overall pick.

Visit montrealgazette.com before the draft on June 22-23 in Dallas to weigh in with your comments.

JAY O’BRIEN, CENTRE

Height/weight: 6-foot, 174 pounds NHL Central Scouting Rank: No. 32 among North American skaters What the scouts are saying: O’Brien put up insane numbers this past season with 80 points, including 43 goals, in 30 games. But scouts have to take into consideration that he scored all those points while playing for Thayer Academy, a prep school in Massachusetts. The competition is far below major junior or one of the Tier Two leagues, but the numbers are intriguing and he’s following the same route as Boston Bruins prospect Ryan Donato. In fact, O’Brien consulted with Donato, who said the limited prep schedule would give him more time to work on his strength training in preparation for playing against older and more mature players next season at Providence College. O’Brien has good acceleration and sees the ice well, but his main asset is his ability to score goals. He’s able to find open space on the ice and gets his shots off quickly.

Why the Canadiens would be interested: Montreal would be able to check off two boxes with O’Brien. He’s a centre and he has a knack for scoring. He’s had excellent coaching from former NHL player Tony Amonte at Thayer and he’ll be playing for Nate Leaman in an elite program at Providence College. Leaman coached Canadiens winger Daniel Carr at Union College and also guided Shayne Gostisbehere, Noel Acciari, Brandon Tanev and Mark Jankowski en route to the NHL. O’Brien will need a few years of college to show what he can do at a higher level, but he appears to have the skill set to play in the pros.

Stepping up: O’Brien made a guest appearance with the U.S. National Team Development Program and played a game against Michigan State. He noted that he had more room to play in the college game than he did at the prep level, where he was a target for opposing defences. Scouts also had a chance to see him at the U.S. under-18 championship, where he had eight points in eight games playing for Cape Cod.