By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
Outside of David Pastrnak, the 2024-25 Boston Bruins struggled to generate offense this season. There was a 49-point gap between Pastrnak’s team-leading 106 points and second-place Morgan Geekie’s career-high 57 points. The most important step on the Bruins’ road back to Stanley Cup contention will be finding players who produce offense consistently at a high level. One player in this years draft class who does just that is center Jake O’Brien.
A native of Toronto, Ontario, O’Brien lit up the Ontario Hockey League this season as a member of the Brantford Bulldogs, producing 98 points in 66 regular-season games. He was third in scoring amongst draft-eligible players in the OHL this season, behind only Michael Misa and Porter Martone.
When watching Jake O’Brien play, the first thing that stands out is his playmaking and vision. In his two seasons in the OHL, O’Brien has 117 assists in 127 games. Brantford had the best power play in the league this season, and O’Brien was a significant reason why. Whether at the point, in the bumper, out wide, or down low, O’Brien is a threat in the offensive zone. While his shot is not as much of a threat as his playmaking ability, it’s still solid. O’Brien scored 32 goals this season, a significant improvement from his 13-goal output in his rookie season in the OHL, where he won rookie of the year. Two-way play is also a strength of O’Brien’s. His play is his own end is solid and reliable. He is a decent backchecker and often supports his defensemen.
What O’Brien will need to work on is his skating. While his skating is not terrible, it’s also not a strength. He doesn’t currently have the speed necessary to create separation from defenders. Another concern is his size. Despite being 6’2″, O’Brien is listed at only 170 lbs, so he will probably need to put on some weight. There’s also some concerns that O’Brien may end up being a wing at the National Hockey League level. He only won 44.7% of his faceoffs this season in the OHL.
O’Brien has a lot of things that you can’t teach a player. His vision is perhaps the best in the entire draft class. His production in the OHL is high-end. While his shooting may not be as good as some of the other prospects Boston would consider here, he didn’t score 32 goals by accident. Finally, I think his strong play on the power play would be welcomed by a Bruins team who had the fourth worst PP in the NHL last year.
While some concerns about his game are valid, many are fixable. It is important to remember that O’Brien will not turn 18 for another month, meaning he played his entire draft year as a 17-year-old, making him one of the youngest players in the draft class. As he gets older, he should bulk up, which in turn could help his faceoff percentage. Overall, I think O’Brien would be worthy of the Bruins taking him with the seventh pick.
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