Jim O’Brien about a year away for Senators

From Allen Panzeri of the Ottawa Citizen:

Assistant general manager Tim Murray figures O’Brien will need at least a year in the American Hockey League with Binghamton before he’s ready for the NHL, so it could be 2010-2011 before O’Brien makes his debut here.

“He seems to be one of those guys who benefits from having one year at every level,” Murray said. “There’s no sense in having him here if he’s going to play on the fourth line.”

Read the entire article here.

The Senators generally do a solid job of not rushing their prospects and giving them time to develop either at the junior or AHL level. O’Brien is no exception. The big center made the switch to the WHL last season from the WCHA and will now look to have a solid year for Binghamton. The fact that he is aware of the work he has to do is surely a good sign.