With their 1st round pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Kraken have chosen Jake O’Brien from the Brantford Bulldogs!
EliteProspects.com’s take
There’s not a more generous player in the draft class than Jake O’Brien. Passing is his first, second, and third play. Displaying close to x-ray vision, he spots the tiniest seams between skates, under sticks and above them. He sees through multiple defenders and behind his back, spotting teammates running at the back post and attacking a few steps late. His playmaking is second to none in the draft class, and, in terms of creativity, he may be in a tier of his own. When he can’t spot a lane, he creates it, shifting defenders or faking a shot before dropping the puck to teammates. Knowing his playmaking tendencies, one would think that defenders would stop falling for his feints, but O’Brien sells them so well, putting his whole body into the act, that he continues to freeze them and connect deft passing plays…
…O’Brien could become a dual-threat attacker as he matures, pushing his upside even further, but at the moment he rarely displays his shooting talent. His passing grades far above every other facet of his play. A light 6-foot-2 forward, O’Brien has more room to fill out than most. Extra strength could transform his game, making him a better puck retriever, a faster mover, and an even more effective defensive player, strengthening his centre projection. The team that drafts him will bank on his evolution.
EliteProspects.com Draft Guide 2025
Our take
O’Brien seems like the kind of player who’s issues could be very easily fixed by simply getting older and by having pro-level training staff working with him. He really feels like a player getting lost in the shuffle on account of being almost so complete as a player it feels like there’s little room to grow. He starts good and will likely stay good. So he’ll lose some faceoffs. That’s fine. He’s got enough skills to get the puck back, and with some calories and some weights, he could very easily get that number up.
His Stats so far
Let’s all welcome Jake to The Deep!