Doug O'Brian

This kid seems to be doing pretty good in the Q, he has a point per game and leads the league in +/-.

What's the deal? He's rated as your 16th best prospect.

But he's our #1 "Newfie" prospect.

Seriously, we're noticing. Believe me, we've taken notice.

However, like Ryan Craig and Martin Cibak, he's a late round pick who needs to fight his way up the rankings.

He's an older prospect who wasn't even rated by CSB last year entering the draft. Though he did have an invitation to Canada's summer camp, he wasn't given an invite to the December camp. He had a good TB training camp, but was sent back to junior before fellow late round offensive dman Paul Ranger. That's why he's behind him.

On the flip side, he is producing at an incredible rate and is the #1 dman for on of the Q's top-2 teams. He has decent size, is improving his physical play, and can skate fairly well.

He's definitely one to watch, but give him another season with this production and he could rise. TB has had others produce well in the Q, but who have done nothing out of it. Mario Laroque for one, but mainly I'm concerned O'Brien may be another Chris Lyness, a 6'2" dman whom the Bolts drafted late in the '98 draft.

In his 2nd last Q season, for Cape Breton and Quebec, Lyness had 62 points in 69 games, with 144 PIM.
His last season in the Q he had 100 points with Montreal and Val d-Or, to go with 92 PIMs.
He didn't get a contract, couldn't stay in the ECHL, and is out of pro hockey after playing in the QSPHL for Granby.

Not saying O'Brien will be Lyness, and I certainly hope not, but that's part of what's keeping every TB prospect follower from putting him in the top-10 just yet.

I think O'Brien will be at least a quality AHL defensemen. I know that he could compare to Lyness, but I really don't see that happening. No more negativity, you leave that to me :p

He's not a dwarf like Lyness was. At camp, Ranger and O'Brien looked like clones of one another IMO.

-Pete Choquette

He's listed as 6'2". What was dwarfish about Lyness?

Lyness had no heart. I would have given anything to have Lyness's skill and talent, but he had no character.

What was dwarfish about Lyness?

Living proof of a guy playing smaller than he is... I thought the guy was 5'10" the way he played.

-Pete Choquette