Jake O’Brien knows his way around water, whether it’s frozen or filled with fish.
The Seattle Kraken chose the Brantford Bulldogs center 8th overall in the 1st round of Friday’s NHL Draft because of his prolific playmaking. “Elite hockey sense, two-way ability” says general manager Jason Botterill. “To have that creativity and that vision, it’s something that’s very difficult to improve on. The fact he has that as a starting point certainly drew us to him.”
With O’Brien in town for this week’s Kraken development camp, it was time for no-holds barred journalism.
Glenn Dreyfuss, DJLR: “How is your fishing game?”
Jake O’Brien, Kraken prospect: “I’m really good at that. I have some friends I grew up with since I was five years old. So we’re pretty into it. We’ll go up to my cottage and fish for 20-25 hours in a weekend. Fishing for muskie, the same family as pike.
“It’s called the fish of 10,000 casts; they’re tough to catch. When you catch one, it’s pretty electric and fun. 46 inches is my biggest one; like a trophy size would be 50. But on my lake there’s not too many of them.”
Dreyfuss: “Fishing and hockey are so diametrically opposed. Is that why you’re attracted to both?”
O’Brien: “Oh, yeah. I like playing in front of the fans. It’s a lot of adrenaline and stuff. But to relax is a big thing for me. With fishing, I’m just getting on the water with the sunrise and sunset. It’s very relaxing, just casting and doing it with friends.”
(Yup, this is going straight to the hockey journalism awards.)
Forget Center, Jake. It’s Krakentown
Botterill says O’Brien may make a positional detour on his way to the Kraken pivot. “We want to develop Jake into a centerman. But having that flexibility is an added benefit. A player like Jared McCann, so versatile to be able to play center and play wing.”
No arguments from the Toronto teenager. “I’m fine with that. I played a lot of wing in my rookie season and minor hockey. With my smarts, I’m able to play any position on the ice. I feel like I’m really good on the wall with receiving passes, too. Wherever they want me, I’ll play.” Director of amateur scouting Robert Kron points out, with knowledge from his own NHL playing days, “It’s easier to go from center to wing than it is to go from wing to center.”
Job one for O’Brien is strength training. “He has to get stronger,” Botterill said. “All these kids being drafted need to get stronger. He has the work ethic to put in the time not only on the ice but in the weight room.”
O’Brien Kraken’s Fourth 1st Round Center In Five Drafts
The GM says he almost always drafts the best available player, rather than drafting for need – say, on defense, where the prospect cupboard isn’t as stocked. The reason is that by the time prospects are ready to make an impact, the needs they would have been drafted for might have radically changed. (Seattle did choose four blueliners on Saturday’s second day of the draft, including Blake Fiddler in the 2nd round, 36th overall.)
“You get too much into drafting for need, it’s a difficult process,” Botterill explained. “As excited as we are about these 18-year-old kids coming into our organization, there is a lag effect. It’s going to take them years to develop into players. It’s so different from the NFL (draft) from that perspective.”
Tuesday’s Free Agent (Not Likely) Frenzy
Botterill also sought to tamp down expectation about Tuesday’s opening of free agency. “31 other teams (also) want to make a splashy addition to their roster. We felt the best way to improve our team was through trades. We’ll see how things progress on July 1. There’s not a lot of depth in the free agent market.”
Qualified Trio
@Jennthulhu_Photos
The Kraken retained negotiating rights to all three of their restricted free agents by tendering qualifying offers before Monday’s 2 pm PT deadline. That means should forwards Kaapo Kakko and Tye Kartye, and defenseman Ryker Evans, be signed to an offer sheet by another NHL team, the Kraken would be eligible to either match the offer or receive compensation in draft picks. The likelihood is that Seattle retains all three.
Pre-Season Schedule Released
Mark your calendar, die-hard Kraken fans: it’s just 82 sweltering days until the first pre-season game. Seattle will play home-and-home contests against the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. The pre-season opener is Sunday, Sept. 21 at 5 pm against the Canucks at Climate Pledge Arena.
By the way, this is the last year of a six-pack of Kraken exhibition games. As part of the new collective bargaining agreement, the regular NHL season will expand from 82 to 84 games, while the pre-season shrinks to a maximum of four contests.
