The Flyers pick sixth overall in the 2025 draft, and while consensus top prospects Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa will likely be gone, one of the elite talents in O’Brien, Anton Frondell, James Hagens, or Porter Martone is expected to be available. Sometimes the most valuable picks aren’t the flashiest ones, and sometimes the players who make everyone around them better are exactly what a rebuilding team needs.
Enter Jake O’Brien, the 6’2″ center from Brantford who just put up 98 points in 66 games while playing the kind of complete, two-way game that has scouts comparing him to David Krejci. If you’re looking for highlight-reel speed or thunderous hits, you might be disappointed. But if you want a player who sees the game at an elite level and consistently makes the right play in every situation, then you’ve found your guy.
As NHL.com’s Mike Morreale put it: “The right-handed shot was tied for seventh in the OHL with 98 points and had 50 power-play points. O’Brien, named OHL Rookie of the Year in 2023-24, has good hands, creativity and can read the ice well with the puck.”
Net-Front Intelligence: Where Goals Are Actually Scored
Let’s start with what makes O’Brien special around the net, because this is where his hockey IQ really translates to the next level. He’s not just camping out waiting for rebounds – he’s constantly moving, constantly thinking, constantly positioning himself to be a problem for defenders.
This goal chart from his 98-point season tells the story perfectly. Look at the concentration of goals in the high-danger areas – net front, slot, and around the crease. These aren’t perimeter goals from a player padding stats against weak competition. O’Brien understands where NHL goals are scored, and he consistently gets to those areas. The variety of scoring locations also shows his versatility – power play goals from the flanks, even-strength goals from in tight, and opportunistic finishes from all over the offensive zone.
On his last goal of the season, you can see his confidence with the puck as he skates through almost the entire team with his head up, scanning for a good pass. I had to go back and watch the clip a second time just to make sure they weren’t on the man advantage because I couldn’t believe no one was pressuring him. It’s almost like they were afraid of what he was going to do. Finally he moves it and gets right where he knows he can score – front of the net, high slot area where he’s most dangerous. What I love about this goal is how he creates space and deflects opponent sticks out of the way, giving him that extra half second he needs to get his shot off.
Another example shows O’Brien constantly moving his feet in the offensive zone, never settling. He’s always trying to get open, and not just to release a shot – he’s presenting his stick to the defenders as a target. That pays off as he scores the deflection, but my favorite part is how he’s always turning after the shot because he’s trying to position himself early for the rebound. His goals come from the front of the net for a reason, and it’s that he’s always hungry and not afraid of the contact.
While in the OHL he’s used as a power play left flank one-timer, at the next level he’ll more than likely be a bumper or net front guy. The hands are there too – one clip showcases his ability to walk around a defender to score in close, showing the skill to complement the positioning.
Elite Playmaking: The Complete Package
Looking at his passing is really where I think his game excels. While he scored a lot of goals this year in juniors, I think his future is much more as a playmaker who defends incredibly well while also setting his teammates up and going to the dirty areas to score.
One pass in particular is unbelievable – I paused it at a moment where you can really tell how little space he was presented to make the pass work. This is elite-level vision and execution under pressure. Again, another clip where his hustle and compete really shine. He blows right by a defender who should’ve picked him up and makes an unbelievable spin-o-rama behind-the-back pass for an easy tap-in goal. Whether it was intentional or he got lucky throwing it to the front, it was tape-to-tape.
His hands aren’t talked about as being elite, but it’s clearly a skillset he’s working on. Watch how he makes a great move to protect the puck and deliver a perfect pass in front for another goal. This is what separates him from typical playmakers – he’s not just making the easy pass, he’s creating the opportunity first.
Two-Way Excellence: Why Scouts Love His Complete Game
Here’s a great example of why scouts are raving about his two-way game. He’s defensively responsible in his own zone, helping support the defenders on puck battles and breaking the puck out. As soon as he gets it up to the wingers though, he’s quick in transition trying to get up ice. He scores on the 2-on-1 in what really turns into a mini breakaway – this is hockey IQ creating offense from defense.
The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler noted: “He’s a finesse player with tons of feel, poise and craftsmanship on the puck and as a passer. His off-puck play is great, and he’s always out-thinking his opponents.”
Areas for Improvement: The Honest Assessment
Now, let’s be honest about what needs work, because every prospect has flaws, and O’Brien is no exception. The good news is that his mistakes are usually mental lapses rather than fundamental issues with his game.
On one defensive play, he clearly makes the right read and knows his assignment – he just didn’t lift the guy’s stick. That’s easy to teach and fix, and something he knew immediately was on him. I’d rather have a player who knows the right play but executes it poorly than someone who looks lost defensively.
This next one is me being nitpicky, but it’s rare to be able to even question O’Brien’s effort since it appears to be there night in and night out. On this rush, it appears everyone has their man and I can see why he’s slower to get back – he’s hoping the defenseman makes the stop so he can be sprung the other way. But the right play is to provide support and smother the puck carrier. Make the player either shoot before he wants to or force a bad pass. You’ve got to help the defenseman make an easier play. Instead, he gets walked and O’Brien essentially glides from the red line in.
The faceoff percentage (44.7%) needs work, and at 172 pounds, he’ll need to add strength. But these are typical development areas for a player who doesn’t turn 18 until after the draft.
The Flyers Fit: Learning from the Best
All in all, I think O’Brien would be a perfect NHL player for what the Flyers are building. Having the ability to learn from Sean Couturier and Noah Cates would be tremendous for his development. I really love his upside – he has a super high floor as a second-line center with legitimate top-line potential if everything clicks.
He may not have elite skating or a thunderous shot, but he has elite vision and hockey IQ in the offensive zone. Playing against better competition on a nightly basis will only help his defensive game develop further. The comparisons to David Krejci aren’t perfect, but you can see the similarities in how they process the game and find ways to make their teammates better.
His goal is to make the NHL next season, but if he doesn’t, there are rumors of him going to Boston College, which would be great for his development. He’s clearly too good for juniors at this point and ready for the next challenge.
The Bottom Line: Sometimes the Best Pick Isn’t the Flashiest One
Where elite talents like Schaefer and Misa will be gone by pick six, O’Brien represents something valuable: a player who makes everyone around him better. He’s not going to be the guy who puts up 100 points, but he might be the guy who helps your other skilled players reach their potential while playing solid defense and winning key faceoffs.
The Flyers need centers, they need hockey IQ, and they need players who understand how to win. O’Brien checks all those boxes. In a rebuild focused on developing the right way rather than rushing to compete, he’s exactly the type of prospect you want to add to the pipeline.
Since 2010, only 10 draft-eligible OHL skaters have managed to score more points than O’Brien did this season: McDavid, Marner, the Strome brothers, Tkachuk, DeBrincat, Kaliyev, Perfetti, Rossi, and Misa. That’s elite company for someone who does everything else at a high level too.
Sometimes the best pick isn’t the most exciting one. Sometimes it’s the one who sees plays that others miss while everyone else is just trying to keep up./isolated-segment.html