Many discussions have occurred comparing Hamilton’s Jake O’Brien (#4 among NA skaters per central scouting) and Sault Ste. Marie’s Brady Martin (#11 among NA skaters per central scouting). O’Brien (98 points on 32 goals & 66 assists in 66 games in 2024-25) is viewed as the better playmaker, having superior puck skills and vision. His elite playmaking ability is demonstrated by the fact that O’Brien’s assist total was second among OHL draft-eligible players only to scoring champ Michael Misa (#2 among NA skaters per central scouting). O’Brien also possesses the size (6’2″ 172 LBS.) and two-way game which translates well to professional hockey.
Martin (72 points on 33 goals and 39 assists in 57 games) is renowned for his work ethic and compete level. Like O’Brien, Martin finished second to Misa among draft-eligible players in a major statistical category. Martin tallied 33 goals to Misa’s league-leading 62. He put up an additional 11 points (3G 8A) in 7 games en route to helping Canada win gold at the U18 WJC in Texas, and racked up 29 penalty minutes due to his physical style of play.
I’m giving a very slight edge to Martin in this comparison. His blend of size (6′, 187 LBS.), physicality and skill make his style of play tailor-made for the NHL playoffs. My live viewing of Martin in Texas cemented my opinion of him as a much-coveted NHL pivot. Also, in making this determination I looked to the draft rankings of the highly-respected Craig Button of TSN. Button consistently has had Martin slotted at 6th overall this season, and always several slots ahead of O’Brien. In addition, Martin is a top 10 pick in the mock draft of Button’s colleague at TSN, Bob McKenzie. McKenzie has Martin going 8th overall, although O’Brien serves as his 6th pick. The closeness of these rankings is very fitting given the very impressive skill sets of these players.