Ottawa Senators‘ 9th year center Jim O’Brien(14) picks up a new 2-year 2-way deal with original draft team, where he spent the first five years of his career before leaving for half a season to the KHL Metallurg Novokuznetsk then returning to Hershey Bears.
He next in 2015/2016 signed a one year contract with New Jersey Devils but played all of his time expect 4 appearances with affiliate Albany Devils.
The fairly large forward agreed for the follow-up campaign with Colorado Avalanche but stay with farm squad San Antonio Rampage.
His only minor league contract was signed for 2017/2018 with new AHL club Belleville Senators, where he leads the team in scoring with 28 points and is the only full-time plus player with a +3 rating.
It seems likely they will make the 29-year old captain for the 2nd year of his contract but he’ll also get his first NHL chance in couple seasons (67 games, 8 goals, 4 assists) as he’s been recalled to join the parent club.
Jim O’Brien (19)
Ottawa Senators‘ 3rd year center Jim O’Brien(19) was a 1st round pick in the 2007 draft (#29 overall) and in the 3rd year of his entry level deal, he’s starting to light it up a bit.
He has career highs with 19 games played, 2 goals and 2 assists, his first NHL points but failed to tally in his first recall for 6 games last season and seems to be trying to make up for it in earnest in this a new contract year for him.
Through 183 regular season AHL games, all with Binghamton he’s racked up a tidy 39 goals and 49 assists.
He was a pivotal part of the B-Sens’ Calder Cup Championship run last season appearing in 23 postseason games scoring 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists).
At 6’2″ 2oo lbs. he has the makings of a power forward, now he just needs to bring it.