Jake O’Brien – 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

by

Jake O’Brien

2024-25 Team: Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Date of Birth: Jun. 16, 2007
Place of Birth: Toronto, ON, CAN
Ht: 6-foot-2 Wt: 170 pounds
Shoots: R
Position: C
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2025 first-year eligible

Rankings

When you think of a player that has some of the best playmaking skills in this draft class, Brantford Bulldogs centre Jake O’Brien instantly comes to the forefront and this season was evident of that. 

He finished his draft year with 98 points in the regular season, it was a bit of a slow start for O’Brien in his draft year. He was used in a depth role at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup as he didn’t have the best results and was off to a slow start with the Brantford Bulldogs. Though, that was immediately in the rear-view mirror as he found that consistency and skill a few months into the season. He was one of the most productive draft-eligible players in this draft behind Michael Misa and tied with Porter Martone, as he was effective in all situations.

Jake O'Brien Brantford Bulldogs
Jake O’Brien, Brantford Bulldogs (Photo Credit: OHL Images)

O’Brien is the ideal player that you want in an extremely intelligent, two-way playmaking centreman. He’s a leader with his on-ice play and is a constant play driver when he has the puck. The combination of his high-end IQ, playmaking vision, patience and deceptiveness he brings with the puck is what makes him dangerous and extremely difficult to contain in the open ice and high danger area. He can be very elusive in the offensive zone on the cycle and without the puck he’s always getting in undetected for a rebound opportunity.

O’Brien displays great control through the neutral zone and is constantly making plays at a quick pace. Even when there’s nothing there, he’s exceptional at opening space up to draw players in and expose those lanes to distribute the puck. He excels with quick passing plays, making accurate and crisp tape-to-tape passes, but his ability to execute and connect on difficult cross seam passes is impressive. He doesn’t force plays, always taking that extra second to evaluate his options and can make difficult plays look easy. Even when there’s nothing there, O’Brien always seems to find a way to get the puck through to his intended target for a prime scoring chance. 

When in a tough situation or in battles, he shows the willingness to get into those dirty areas and win those battles. He has great off the puck awareness and great determination, never giving up on a play and executing timely stick lifts to regain possession. He closes gaps really well and pressures opponents in order to force a turnover and pounce on that opportunity to transition to offense. He shows great positioning and awareness as he’s rarely out of position.

Related: THW’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide

O’Brien could look to improve his play in the faceoff dot as he finished with a winning percentage of 44.7%. Not impressive numbers for a centreman, but it’s something that can always be worked on with improved timing and accuracy. While he shows that determination and work ethic in puck battles, he could look to fill out his frame and improve his strength as he continues to develop. 

Other THW Draft Profiles

Jake O’Brien- NHL Draft Projection

O’Brien’s rise and play hasn’t gone unnoticed. As a result, he has quickly gone from a player that could be selected 20-25, to a potential top-10 pick as a result of his play and overall skillset. While he didn’t have the best start, his larger sample size from this season and even his rookie campaign shows what he’s capable of as a prospect. If a team is looking for a smart and creative centre, he’s definitely going to make them happy that they selected him.

Quotables

“Excellent playmaking skills with a good shot to keep opponents honest. Excellent defensive instincts and game. Makes the players around him better. Very coachable. Quiet leader with captain capabilities. Does most of his talking with his play, he can lead by example but is not afraid to speak up when necessary. The last part of his progression will be the addition of extra weight and muscle. A player with a high ceiling and floor. A winner at every level.” – Lindsay Hofford, coached O’Brien with Toronto Jr. Canadiens

“O’Brien has a great frame to work with, but he will need to fill out a bit as he develops, which shouldn’t be a problem. His vision on the ice is impressive, consistently spotting teammates and allowing them to skate into his passes by firing the puck through the lane as they arrive at the destination.” – Tony Ferrari, The Hockey News 

“He impresses me with his vision and skill offensively. O’Brien is a threat to create offence on a consistent basis at the OHL level. Defensively he appears to understand his responsibilities off the puck and where to position himself when his group doesn’t have control of the play in the offensive zone.” – Jason Bukala, Sportsnet 

Strengths 

  • Strong patience and offensive vision
  • Excellent playmaking, two-way centre
  • Deceptive and elusive with puck control
  • Offensive catalyst and driver
  • Strong compete level and drive

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

  • Needs to add muscle and improve strength
  • Improve play in the dot and on faceoffs

NHL Potential

If O’Brien can continue his development there isn’t any doubt that he can be an impactful top-six player and a centreman that can make a significant impact on the second line. He’s a player that can make his presence felt in all situations. He can drive play at five-on-five, act swiftly on the power play and can even provide strong defense on the penalty kill. He’s a centre that can do it all and can continue to do so at the next level.

Risk- Reward Analysis

Risk- 1.5/5, Reward 4.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense- 7/10, Defense 7/10

Awards/ Achievements

O’Brien won the OHL’s Rookie of the Year award for the 2023-24 season. He also won a gold medal for Team Canada at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Jake O’Brien Stats

Videos

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