F Jake O’Brien - Brantford Bulldogs, OHL (2025 Draft)

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Starting to heat up offensivley. 6'2 Centre is a medicore draft year after the first 8/9 names. How high can he go if he continues scoring?

I think O'Brien right now would probably be a top 15 pick, maybe 15-20?

Without getting into all of the nitty-gritty details, in O'Brien's case the tools are definitely there. His skating is solid overall. and the vision, the decision-making, the skill level; those areas of O'Brien's game all track to be more than above-average at the NHL level.

And those same tools, combined with O'Brien's frame and position as a center, means that he's a virtual lock for the first-round unless he craters completely to end the year. It's well-known that GMs LOVE those types of high-upside players with relatively clear pathways to the NHL that also play important positions. We have countless examples to go off of in that sense.

But the reason why O'Brien probably won't be drafted in the top-10 is that his defensive game, awareness, and off-puck play are not at all refined right now.

As others have said, stats aside I think O'Brien's been markedly better the last couple of games for Brantford, and definitely more well-rounded.

But I caught some early-season games of his for Brantford this year (keeping an eye on him while also watching a bit of Owen Protz), and last year when Xhekaj was on the team, and I actually thought O'Brien was quite rough/raw defensively in those games that I saw.

Moreso considering that I'd watch games of Desnoyers and Frondell during the same period, and the comparisons were not at all flattering for O'Brien defensively, quite the contrary.

Then there's also the fact that right now O'Brien is a bit of an asparagus in how lanky and tall he seems with not a lot of mass to his body physically. He'll definitely need a couple of years of bulking-up before he's ready for the show, that's for sure.

Some might say that it would actually increase O'Brien's perceived value, as he's already a very good player in the CHL while still having A LOT of room to grow into physically. However, I think the fact that O'Brien won't be a quick "plug into the lineup" type of prospect might make some teams opt for more ready options instead in the top of the draft.

Overall though, I still really, really like O'Brien's potential at the NHL level. If given more reps at center, and favorable development, I could see a future in which O'Brien's a successful top-6 C at the highest level.
 
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A favourable review here for O'Brien.


I've heard talk of this being a really weak draft, from respected sources. But if a guy like O'Brien is available in the second half of the 1st round, then I believe it's a pretty decent 1st round.
 
Huge fan of this kid. I’ve watched too many of his games. I pull up CHL tv knowing I have other prospects to watch but I see the Bulldogs game there and I just have to watch. He’s underrated in my opinion.
I agree.

Both him and Carter Bear are my must watch
 
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Well over point per game, keeps getting better, and a summer 2007 birthday (thus not a late bday who gets the extra year to stat pad nor a January Canadian bday who was/is good simply by being oldest growing up). Top 15 for me right now.
 
This kid is going to grow into his frame the next couple years. Bob has him a hair under 6'2" and 172 lbs. That is very light. He can gain up to 30 lbs through his development. A couple things I noticed in his play;

Pro's
- Crafty playmaker and vision. You'll see him make a lot of plays you wouldn't think are possible in the given circumstance. He makes tight window passes that are difficult to pull off. I think if he were to ever be a 1C, he'd be a very competent playmaking type (using his IQ more than his legs).
- Plays a 200 ft game. He gets the toughest matchups because he is really good at boxing out the opposition and taking away the dangerous areas of the game. Cleaning up the house, forcing forwards to use their backhands, etc..
- Terrific use of his body and weight distribution
- Right shot center

Cons
- Not a dynamic skater. When talking about high profile players, most of the skill type players are very dynamic in the way they move. They are great at separating and creating a ton of space. I don't see that with O'brien. I think most of that is because he isn't a "quick" or "explosive" type of skater. He moves around just fine (his top speed might be above average), but he doesn't have the quickest feet.
- High turnover rate. This might be a low sample, but he turned the puck over a lot more than I thought he should have in the 2-3 games I watched
 
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