Oilers sign Nathaniel Day to entry-level contract

The Edmonton Oilers announced on Saturday that the club has signed goaltender Nathaniel Day to a three-year, entry-level contract set to kick in at the start of the 2025-26 season. 

The 6-foot-4 netminder was a sixth-round, 184th overall selection by the Oilers in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and signs with the NHL club after his most recent season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Flint Firebirds. 

A native of Grimsby, Ont., he played 59 games for the Firebirds through the 2024-25 season, posting a 26-25-2-3 record with a 3.07 goals-against average, a .894 save percentage and two shutouts. 

With his standout performances, he was awarded the Firebird’s team MVP award and led all OHL goalies in games and minutes played. He took the majority of playing time as the team’s outright starter as Flint finished the 68-game season sixth in the Western Conference with a record of 29-34-2-3.

Named OHL Goaltender of the Week three times this season, Day spent his entire junior career with the Firebirds, playing 153 regular-season games and 17 playoff games, ending with Flint’s five-game elimination against the Kitchener Rangers. 

Day played all five games against the Rangers, posting a 3.37 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage, posting a shutout in a 2-0 Game 3 victory. 

According to PuckPedia, Day becomes the fourth goaltender under contract with the Oilers for 2025-25, a setup that includes Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard on the NHL roster, along with Connor Ungar and now Day off the NHL roster. Meanwhile, Olivier Rodrigue’s contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season and he is set to become an RFA. 

Before facing off against the LA Kings on Saturday, the Oilers sat third in the Pacific Division, as they look ahead to their final seven regular-season games against the Kings, Anaheim Ducks, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, and San Jose Sharks.