Jake O'Brien has been one of the best 2007-born players in the OHL this season. He makes plays at an advanced level already in this league, and it is safe to say his future is bright.
Jake O'Brien has been one of the best 2007-born players in the OHL this season. He makes plays at an advanced level already in this league, and it is safe to say his future is bright.
The eighth overall selection in the 2023 OHL Draft was none other than OHL Cup MVP and former Toronto Jr. Canadien — Jake O'Brien. The newly-moved Brantford Bulldogs have found a gem with O'Brien at number eight, as he as been one of the best 2007-born players in the OHL so far this season.
O'Brien has been able to work himself into Brantford's top-six and make himself stick there. He has not disappointed this season — if anything he has exceeded expectations.
Vision, Awareness, & Hockey Sense
What makes O'Brien special is his advanced vision and hockey sense. For a sixteen-year-old, he sees the ice better than a lot of nineteen/twenty-year-olds in this league. O'Brien is constantly reading ahead of the play and moving the puck to spots where his team is able to maintain strong possession.
When under pressure, O'Brien has the vision and awareness to chip the puck to an open spot where he and his team can regain control. His spatial awareness is off the charts, as he is able to recognize gaps that defenders are giving him and manipulate them.
Passing & Playmaking
O'Brien's passing vision and ability to find his teammates through loads of traffic is tremendous. His complete vision allows him to dish the puck to his teammates without even looking at them, and this is where his manipulation/deception comes in. He is a nightmare for opponents to track, and he is able to move the puck around opponents at this level.
If his teammates are open, O'Brien will find them. His passing and playmaking ability is a large reason why he got drafted when he did. O'Brien was arguably the best passing forward in the 2007 draft class, and all of his teams offence seemed to go through his hands.
On the above play, O'Brien gains the entry by manipulating and spinning through the gap that the opposing defender is giving him. He's able to stay strong protecting the puck and dish it to his incoming teammate. Then O'Brien receives the puck back, and uses the "eyes in the back of his head" to find his defenceman behind him.
He gets credit for a secondary assist on this play. Without his ability to find space to gain the entry, and the ability stay aware to find his teammates behind him, this goal wouldn't have happened.
Team-Oriented Play
When O'Brien is on the ice, he wants the puck in his hands and he wants to create for his team. His vision and playmaking is very team-oriented, he rarely turns over the puck off of the pass and his team is able to rely on that.
O'Brien has 26 assists and just 5 goals this season. He is comfortably a pass-first player, and he is always prioritizing his team-oriented mindset over everything when he has the puck.
At a young age, he has seemed to found the perfect balance between over-passing and under-passing, and he seems to be moving the puck at the right times.
Jake O'Brien is quickly nearing the top of the list of 2007-born players in the OHL, and he is finding a way to have an impact night-in and night-out for the Bulldogs.
Despite going eighth overall in the 2023 OHL Draft, O'Brien's value has proven to be a lot higher than some of those above him on the draft list so far in his junior career.