The Seattle Kraken selected center Jake O'Brien with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday.
O'Brien made waves with a massive 98-point campaign in the OHL this season. Only Michael Misa scored more points among first-time draft-eligible players in the league this year.
The Toronto native was clinical on the man advantage. O'Brien led the entire OHL, regardless of age, in power-play scoring with 50 points. His cerebral playmaking helped teammate and Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis to a 71-goal campaign.
O'Brien won OHL Rookie of the Year in 2024 after notching 64 points in 61 games in his first season with the Brantford Bulldogs. His biggest jump this past year came as a goal-scorer: He more than doubled his goal output from 13 to 32.
The 172-pound, right-handed center ranked as theScore's fifth-best center in the class.
What they're saying
"O'Brien displays the high-end patience and vision to hold onto pucks for an extra second to make difficult plays and run an NHL power play," wrote The Athletic's Corey Pronman.
"He's physically immature and relies a little too heavily on power-play production," Elite Prospects' Cam Robinson wrote. "But you can't ignore his talent. He's one of the best setup men in the class and perhaps the most creative as well."
"His skill suggests he could be a credible No. 2 center in the NHL at the top of his projection," wrote FloHockey's Chris Peters.
