Jake O'Brien 2025 NHL Draft Scouting Report

Vitals

Position: Center

Age on Draft Day: 18

Height, Weight: 6'1.75", 172 lbs

2024-25 stats (OHL): 66 GP, 32 G, 66 A

Scouting Report:

All it takes to love Jake O'Brien's approach to hockey is watching one game with Jake O'Brien in it. If I had to describe his play in three words, it would be "creative and generous". He's a pass-first guy to the max, always looking to set up his teammates—he's the Oprah of this draft class, very "you get a car!"—but he does it in such a crafty, deceptive way. The guy is a truly special playmaker, possibly the best in the class at this stage if we're looking at that skill set alone.

His high-end vision and hockey IQ have him pulling off passes that stymie opponents regularly, not just confusing them, but often completely freezing them up. He's not using the same old tricks every time, either, which is an easy trap for junior players to fall into—learning one or two patterns or ways to deke around opponents to trick them. If that were the case, his tactics wouldn't work across a season, and they certainly wouldn't translate to the next level.

O'Brien's approach is driven by his vision. He's always, always scanning the play for opportunities, but it's more than that. It's almost like he gets a That's So Raven-style glimpse into the future each time he steps onto the ice that allows him to pinpoint the smallest weak spots in the other team's defense, finding seams where they shouldn't exist and finding the teammates beyond those seams who can receive his pass.

And lest you think O'Brien is an offense-only guy, let me reassure you: his dedication to being defensively responsible is just as high-priority for him as his dedication to pulling off passes to his teammates. He uses that vision and hockey sense to ensure he's always in the right place defensively, and his excellent work ethic means he doesn't let up on opponents when his team doesn't have the puck. This side of his game is something we've seen improvement on across the season; his positioning being good is nothing new, but there has been clear movement in his instincts and ability to cut off opponents' plays.

One key thing O'Brien needs to work on is adding more muscle. His two biggest weak spots are his skating mechanics and his physicality—adding strength can help with both of those things. Improving his core strength and lower-body strength will both allow for lengthening his skating stride; this will add explosiveness and speed to his game, both things that will only benefit him further. At the same time, those things will also boost his ability to get more physically involved in play in an overall sense, and to win more puck battles and retrievals.

For me, the skating mechanics are the most important thing for him to improve; it's what his ability to translate his game to the next level hinges on. His game is driven by his passing and handling abilities, and that high-end vision. Right now, he tends to try to slow the game down for himself, select just the right pass. But if your feet can't work at the same pace or agility as your hands and your brain, that approach isn't going to work at the NHL level. 

O'Brien is a creative threat who is hard to contain when he gets going. If he can improve his skating to the point that his feet can keep up with his hands, the payoff for this pick will be immense.

Draft Outlook:

In terms of where you should expect O'Brien to fall during this draft, anywhere in the top half after that first tier of Schaefer, Misa, Hagens, and Martone is fair game, honestly. I'm afraid that's going to be the case for many of the players in that next tier. This first round is going to be a Rube Goldberg machine of teams making their calls as the pieces fall into place when other teams make their picks. 

The most likely scenario is somewhere between 6 and 13-ish, if I had to guess, which puts him right in the zone for a lot of teams who could use a player of his style (the Pittsburgh Penguins come to mind; pulling off picking O'Brien would immediately elevate their prospect pool). 

As far as after the draft goes, what happens to O'Brien is going to hinge on the work he puts in with regard to his skating and his muscle mass. To translate that offensive game, he's going to have to build that base. O'Brien won't have the benefit of an NCAA schedule and weight room, unlike a lot of other prospects, so it's going to be key that he works on it in the offseason. I'm excited to see what he does with the Bulldogs next year. 

Loose Stylistic Comparables:

Wyatt Johnston

Dylan Strome