> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Analysis: Entering Rookie AHL Season, What’s Jake O’Brien’s NHL Future With Kraken? - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-kraken-jake-obrien-rookie-ahl-season-nhl-future/ - Published: 2026-08-05T05:30:12.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T06:10:46.000Z - Author: Josh Frojelin - Tags: Analysis, Features, Kraken, Jake O'Brien, Coachella Valley Firebirds \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2000"\] ![ Firebirds forward Jake O’Brien (44) warms up before puck drop against the Colorado Eagles for game two of the Pacific Division Finals at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., on Friday, May 15, 2026. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/2026-05-16t071850z_898105215_mt1usatoday28972450_rtrmadp_3_firebirds-forward-jake-o-brien-44-warms-up-before-puck-jpg-format-original.jpg) Firebirds forward Jake O’Brien (44) warms up before puck drop against the Colorado Eagles for game two of the Pacific Division Finals at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., on Friday, May 15, 2026\. \[/caption\] Even though he missed 15 games due to injury, Jake O’Brien led the OHL in assists last season. As a 19-year-old, he is now eligible to make the jump to the AHL next season under the new NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement. What does the Seattle Kraken’s 2025 first-rounder do at an elite level? How can he improve? Is he ticketed for the Coachella Valley Firebirds next season? His Brantford Bulldogs assistant coach Vince Laise and Dobber Prospects scout [Alex Wyatt](https://x.com/KrakenWyatt?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com) weighed in, taking a closer look at the prospect as he works to get closer to making his NHL debut. In 53 games last season, O’Brien put up 28 goals and a team-leading 93 points. The last two seasons, O’Brien has had the OHL’s leading goal scorer on his wing. While that’s in part because Brantford built a talented roster that went deep in the OHL playoffs the last two seasons, it’s also because O’Brien’s a top-tier playmaker. Three-quarters of O’Brien’s assists were primary assists last season. “He didn't look like he was trying to force something,” Wyatt wrote. “He wasn't playing the \[video game\] version of hockey where he's just whipping in these passes that end up losing possession. He played a more mature game. He slowed things down a little bit, and that gave the team time to get ready for those passes to mean something.” Laise, O’Brien’s assistant coach in Brantford the last two seasons, felt similarly. “He's able to, first of all, dictate the pace, which enables him to manipulate coverages to where he wants \[defenders\] to be,” Laise said. “Then, his teammates obviously understand that and he can create space for his teammates to get open… \[O’Brien\] can extend possession to new areas, draw two or three checkers to him, and then just distribute. His distribution skills are elite. At 6-2, O’Brien has the prototypical size of an NHL center. A welcome sight for the Kraken, who lack a true No. 1 center. Does O’Brien have the tools to eventually fill that need? Wyatt believes so. “I think O'Brien certainly does look like he fits the bill as a top-six \[forward\],” Wyatt said. “I think he definitely could… if everything breaks right, I could see O'Brien being a first line center in the league. He's an incredible playmaker.” The Kraken have a stable of offensively gifted wingers, led by Jaren McCann and Jordan Eberle. Younger options such as Bobby McMann, Mackie Samoskevich, Berkly Catton, and Kaapo Kakko round out the group, and are all under team control for the next few seasons. When O’Brien eventually makes the NHL, he’ll have plenty of goal-scorers to set up. But before that, O’Brien appears ticketed for the AHL. Under the new NHL CBA, every NHL team will be able to play one 19-year-old in the AHL per season. After three consecutive point-per-game seasons in the OHL, the AHL would be the logical next step in his development. His former assistant coach Laise will be an assistant coach with the AHL’s Hamilton Hammers next season. After Brantford’s season ended, O’Brien joined Coachella Valley for four Calder Cup playoff games. Laise is ready to see O’Brien in a full AHL season and see how he continues to blossom against superior competition. “I think he's going to do fantastic,” Laise said. “I think he's ready for that challenge and opportunity… He's got the length and the frame to \[grow\] into that league.” That’s not to say O’Brien is expected to lead the Coachella Valley Firebirds in scoring next season. Centers drafted in a similar range to O’Brien, like Detroit Red Wings’ Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson, both scored around a half-point per-game in their rookie AHL seasons, so such immediate success in that regard isn’t typical. “If you're succeeding at such a level, you're not put under duress in defensive areas,” Laise noted. “The elite point-getting junior player, they always have the puck on their stick, so they're not really defending. The American League level, the pro level, he's going to be under duress. “There's the opportunity to improve, because you know he's going to,” Laise continued. “\[The AHL is\] a level where he's going to be more equal to players out there.” Laise also believes O’Brien can make an impact even if his offensive game takes time to develop, including killing penalties on the defensive end on power plays. “His \[penalty killing\] is so good,” Laise noted. He breaks up plays. He's so smart with his stick because he obviously understands what offensive players are trying to do. I think that's where he can be utilized in a different way.” There’s still a chance O’Brien makes the jump to the NHL next season. The Kraken are thin at center, and it wouldn’t be unheard of for a player of his ilk to make the NHL in his second season after being drafted. Konsta Helenius did it for the Buffalo Sabres recently, and Wyatt Johnston–a player that O’Brien watched with his Brantford coaches–made his impact at the same age. Whether it’s next season, or a little further down the road, Laise has no doubt that O’Brien will make the NHL and make a major impact for Seattle. “He's a kid that's gonna be there, and he'll figure it out because, like I said, he's a tremendously smart individual,” Laise said. “He'll overcome his deficiencies because he wants to play really badly.” So, assuming O’Brien begins next season in Coachella, what would these two want to see from the 2025 eighth-overall pick? “Success is going to be less about gross numbers, but more about showing and proving that those skills that made him stand out in junior translate to the next level of hockey,” Wyatt said. “Talking specifically from a coach's standpoint, not management or development, can he have consistent everyday work habits and contribute in the manner that he needs to throughout the course of the year?” Laise wondered. “You can't put a number on that. “For instance, if he only had one point last game, and doesn't have a point the next game, can he rebound quickly?” Laise continued. “Can \[he show\] resiliency and endurance?... How quickly can you get back to your A-game? Or, do you have a B-game? Can you do something else to help win the game?.. Jake has it in him to do that, so he's gonna be alright.”