There wasn’t a lot expected of Flint Firebirds goaltender Nathaniel Day when he was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the sixth round with the 184th overall pick at the 2023 NHL Draft. It was nothing personal, it’s just that goalies taken that late in the draft usually don’t end up reaching hockey’s highest level.
In Oilers history, Mike Greenlay and Mike Morrison are the two netminders selected in the sixth round or lower to have even made it to the NHL, and neither stuck around for long: Greenlay, who was drafted 189th overall in 1986, played just 20 minutes over two games in 1989-90; Morrison, the 186th overall pick in 1998, appeared in 29 games over 2005-06 and 2006-07.
When it gets to the end of the draft, teams are generally drafting for organizational depth. Someone taken in Round 6 and beyond can be considered successful if they carve out a career in the minor leagues.
But there is always a handful of late selections that turn out to be bonafide NHLers, and while no one is suggesting just yet that Day is one of those sleeper picks, the way he started this season with Flint in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) should have the Oilers excited.
Day Recognized as OHL Goalie of the Week
Day was recently named OHL Goaltender of the Week for the first time in his career, receiving the honour on Oct. 28 after his tremendous performances during a seven-day span that saw him go 2-0-0-1 with a goals-against average (GAA) of 0.97 and save percentage (SV%) of .969 over three games.
While Day had a rough weekend, giving up 11 goals combined in games against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on Saturday (Nov. 9) and Saginaw Spirit on Sunday (Nov. 10), he still ranks 10th in the high-scoring OHL with a GAA of 2.89, and a .893 SV% with a record of 7-8-0-1.
Those numbers mark massive improvements from 2023-24, when he registered a GAA of 3.73 and SV% of .868 while going 25-26-1-1 over 54 appearances with the Firebirds.
Day Played Well at Young Stars Classic
Signs of major progress were already evident in September, when Day attended his second Oilers rookie camp. He was Edmonton’s best goalie at the Young Stars Classic, an exhibition tournament in Penticton, B.C., featuring teams of top prospects of the Oilers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets.
Related: 5 Oilers Prospects Who Made Impression at 2024 Young Stars Classic
Against the Canucks, the 19-year-old netminder stood on his head while coming under fire from the likes of Arshdeep Bains. Day stopped 28 of 30 shots, earning effusive praise from Oilers rookie camp coach Colin Chaulk.
“Last year he looked much younger, he looked like a teenager, and he looks like a young man now,” said Chaulk, who is now in his third year as head coach of the Bakersfield Condors in the American Hockey League (AHL). “It was a hell of a game for him.”
Day isn’t Done Growing
Day appears to have grown quite a bit as a player, but the native of Grimsby, Ontario, also looks a lot more like a man from a physical perspective.
When he was drafted less than a year and a half ago, Day was listed at 6-foot-2 and just over 180 pounds. Now he measures 6-foot-4 and tips the scale at 205 pounds.
That’s not insignificant, considering that size was a factor that some analysts, including Corey Pronman of The Athletic, mentioned when grading Day for the 2023 NHL Draft.
Day Will Log Heavy Minutes This Season
There’s great reason to believe Day will keep making strides, given the ample opportunity he is getting to work on his craft this season. He has started 16 of Flint’s 19 contests, which has him tied for most games played among OHL goalies, and all signs indicate that his usage will remain at a very high frequency for the remainder of the 2024-25 schedule.
While some might worry that Day is being overplayed, the Flint puck-stopper has proven he can handle a heavy workload. In 2023-24, he appeared in 54 games, the second most for a netminder in a single season in Firebirds history.
“I was very grateful for the opportunity to play that many games and have that trust on me to be in those moments, it was pretty special,” Day said while speaking to media during Oilers rookie camp.
“Playing a lot, there’s going to be ups and downs, so it’s just learning how to handle it and take care of myself through those times, because a lot of times you’re playing three in three, three in four (games in days), so it’s just making sure you’re taking care of your body and getting ready for each and every game.”
With the possibility that he signs an entry-level contract (ELC) with the Oilers, Day will be one of the NHL team’s most interesting prospects to follow over the next several months. The Firebirds are back in action tonight (Nov. 13) at home against the Saginaw Spirit.
