O’Brien was able to elevate another teammate to the top of the OHL scoring race for the second consecutive season. After playing setup man to Nick Lardis in 2024-2025, he helped another Blackhawk prospect in Marek Vanacker lead the league in 2025-2026. In 53 games he scored 28 goals and added 65 assists for 93 points. O’Brien is certainly developing into a future top line centre for the Seattle Kraken, and is easy to slot into the top spot over the more all-situation Matty Beniers when the time comes.

O’Brien had an extended look at Kraken training camp this fall, but has ultimately returned to the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL. He’s started the year right where he left off, with his first five games showing him score twice and add six assists. O’Brien helped raise the stock of Chicago Blackhawks’ Nick Lardis, and Bulldog fans- and Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawk fans alike- are hoping the newly minted Captain can help do the same for Adam Benak and Marek Vanacker.

O’Brien, one of the premier playmakers in all of junior hockey last year, signed his entry-level contract with the Kraken, foregoing any possibility of playing in the NCAA next year. With this signing, it is now either the OHL or NHL for O’Brien next year, and in all likelihood, it will be the OHL again. Returning to Brantford next year will be pretty interesting, as O’Brien will be without Nick Lardis (CHI) and Patrick Thomas (WSH), who both aged out of CHL eligibility and outproduced O’Brien last season. As such an elite playmaker, there is legitimate first-line upside to O’Brien’s game; however, he needs to work on playing through the middle of the ice more often than on the perimeter. This upcoming year will be telling for O’Brien’s long-term fantasy outlook. If he can play more in the middle of the action and produce without his elite teammates from last year, then O’Brien will have a strong case for being a future first-line center.

Selected eighth overall, Jake O’Brien is now a member of the Seattle Kraken.

Jake O’Brien has been a steady climber this season thanks to his terrific production with Brantford and, most recently, a great showing at the OHL Top Prospects Game. He’s a smooth skater with excellent hockey sense and playmaking ability from the middle of the ice. Standing at 6-2, 170 pounds, O’Brien has substantial physical progress to make, which will only enhance his toolbox. He is matching his outstanding junior rookie season by scoring well above a point per game pace so far with the Bulldogs. O’Brien projects as a potential top-nine playmaking center with lots of room in his frame to grow.

O’Brien will be given a chance to shine in training camp this fall, but the realistic expectation is he is at least a season away from a regular role in the NHL. He may return to captain the Brantford Bulldogs on one more playoff run, but he’s proved his worth at the OHL level at this point. Must own in all leagues.

Both Bulldogs are far less owned in leagues than O’Brien, but his passing skills will help raise their profiles this season as well as his own.

He’s currently on pace (after just five games) to best his 98 point effort last season, and he should be near the top of the OHL scoring race all season if he can build on last year’s efforts.