Earlier this week, the National Hockey League had its annual deadline for teams to come to terms with unsigned college prospects. The majority of these unsigned players would immediately become unrestricted free agents.
One of those players that went unsigned and became a free agent was Jay O'Brien who was selected in the first round by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2018. The Flyers had made it clear for months they had no intention of signing O'Brien, and shared that they had no intention of trading the player unless they received a 2nd round pick, something they'd never received.
O'Brien, 23, was a first-round pick who didn't sign, this qualified the Philadelphia Flyers to receive a compensatory draft pick in next year's draft. The pick will become the 19th selection in the 2nd round next season, and this pick cannot be traded.
O'Brien spent the last 3 years at Boston University of the NCAA. He began his College career with Providence College in 2018-19, but opted to play in the BCHL for the 2019-20 season. Before signing in the BCHL, O'Brien then entered the NCAA transfer portal and joined Boston University.
