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Jake O’Brien Scouting Report: 2025 NHL Draft #10

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Scouting Report Jake O'Brien

Welcome to your 2025 NHL Entry Draft Headquarters right here at Last Word On Sports and Top Shelf Prospects. We have you covered with everything you will need to be ready for the big event. This year’s draft is set to take place on June 27th and 28th, live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Today, we bring you our Jake O’Brien Scouting Report. 

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This season has seen Jake O’Brien steadily work his way up the draft rankings boards. The rise, primarily due to O’Brien’s remarkable playmaking and two-way game. He is the type of player with both a high ceiling and a high floor. He controls the tempo of a shift and remains calm under pressure, making him one of the most inventive offensive minds available in this draft class.

Jake O’Brien Scouting Report: 2025 NHL Draft #10

Center – Shoots Right

Born Jun 16, 2007 – Toronto, ON, CAN

Height 6’2″ – Weight 170lbs [188cm/77kg]

Offensive Mind

Since skating is not a strength of O’Brien’s, he must rely on his shot and IQ to produce offence. Jake is a pass-first forward, as he has some of the best passing metrics in the class. He uses silky hands in tight and effective pacing to force gaps in structure and create high-danger chances for his teammates. O’Brien excels at manipulating defenders with delays and misdirection. He uses his agility and high-end hands to open lanes that most players wouldn’t even attempt. This season, through 66 games for the Burlington Bulldogs, Jake had 66 assists and 98 points.

Despite being more of a distributor, O’Brien’s shot is underappreciated and completely underutilized. He owns a deceptive release and excels in catch-and-release situations, often beating goalies clean or creating high-danger rebounds. His shot is also very efficient. Even though Jake only averages three shots per game, he generates almost two Grade “A” chances a game. This means that almost two-thirds of O’Brien’s shots result in scoring chances.

Two-Way Maturity

O’Brien is the type of player who “Checks” more than he “Hits”. Jake’s not an overly physical player. However, he does a good job of separating the player from the puck on the forecheck. He closes space effectively, reads the play well, and consistently supports his defensemen down low. On the backcheck, he uses an active stick to tip pucks away and plug passing lanes, leading to the regain of possession. The speed at which he processes and anticipates the game allows him to cover for out-of-position teammates, cause turnovers, and then break the puck out the other way. At 6’2″, but only 170lbs, he will need to fill out before it becomes too much of a weakness. As it sits currently, he’s often on the receiving end of contact and loses too many puck battles along the wall.

Comparisons and Potential

The two players that come to mind when watching O’Brien are Ryan O’Reilly (Nashville Predators) and Matthew Barzal (New York Islanders). Both  are exceptionally intelligent centers who can put up points, contribute at both ends of the ice, and have leadership qualities. The two are more known for their playmaking. However, they have no trouble putting the puck in the back of the net as well. These are all qualities that O’Brien possesses. If Jake can continue to put on some muscle—both O’Reilly and Barzal are quite a bit more physically mature—and round out his physical game, these are two players that O’Brien could model his game after.

Overall, O’Brien projects as a middle-six centre with top-line potential. He can contribute at 5-on-5 and on the power play. He kills penalties and will be responsible at both ends of the ice. Jake doesn’t rely on raw speed or brute force—his game is built on anticipation, manipulation, and execution. With that being said, it’s important that he continues to add muscle and improve his skating if he hopes to be a factor at the next level. Expect O’Brien’s name to be called early in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Main photo by: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

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