More than a year ago, Liam O’Brien tried to keep his goals for Capitals rookie camp realistic, so he hoped to be around long enough to appear in one preseason game. But cut after cut went by, and O’Brien, an undrafted rookie free agent, was around much longer than he’d ever allowed himself to dream.
O’Brien ultimately signed a three-year, entry-level deal and played in 13 NHL games before being reassigned to Hershey for the rest of the season. Back at Kettler Capitals Iceplex for training camp, O’Brien’s allowed himself bigger goals, no longer unreasonable for him to set his sights on joining the Capitals as a depth forward again this season.