The Edmonton Oilers have locked up another one of their prospects today by announcing the signing of goaltender Nathaniel Day to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Have a Day! ✍️
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 5, 2025
The #Oilers have signed goaltender Nathaniel Day to a three-year entry-level contract after the 2023 sixth-round pick was selected as MVP of the @FlintFirebirds this season. https://t.co/dFrUtxv47W
Day, a sixth round draft pick of the Oilers back in 2023, spent his entire junior career to date with the Firebirds. His team was just eliminated from the OHL playoffs last night by the Kitchener Rangers.
The 2024–25 season was the best Day had had in the OHL, as he improved significantly on his numbers from the year prior. In 59 games played, he finished with an .894 save percentage and a 3.07 goals against average. For his performance, Day was named the Firebirds’ MVP this season. Additionally, he was named the OHL goaltender of the week on numerous occasions. Day’s 59 games played led the entire OHL.
What’s next for Nathaniel Day
Now that he has solidified his place in the Oilers prospect pipeline with this deal, it is clear the team sees a future player in him. Although he will require a few more seasons of development before making an impact, it is likely that Day will be assigned to the still-active Bakersfield Condors of the AHL to see some time at the professional level this season.
With his breakout season combined with Samuel Jonsson having a stellar year in Sweden, there is now some competition in the Oilers system amongst goalies.
Day is an athletic goalie who is capable of being an imposing presence in net and difficult to beat in close. But, he does need to work on his reads in net and consistency if he wants to make an impact at the pro level.
Back when he was drafted, Day’s prospect profile suggested a resemblence to Stuart Skinner in a lot of ways, indicating a similarity to his movement style and stance with similar strengths and weaknesses.
Ultimately, Day is a project prospect. But goalies, once again, tend to be voodoo magic and with the right environment and development program, he could turn into a player. His improvement this season suggests he is on the upswing developmentally.
