Oilers Sign Goalie Nathaniel Day To Entry-Level Deal
The Edmonton Oilers have signed goaltending prospect Nathaniel Day to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. Day was the organization’s sixth round selection in the 2023 draft.
Day was named the OHL Flint Firebird’s 2024-25 team MVP after leading the league in games and minutes played by a goalie. In 59 games, Day recorded a less-than-stellar 26-25-2-3 record and an .894 save percentage but also faced the fourth-most shots in the OHL. He recorded his first three professional shutouts this season, added a .902 save percentage in five playoff games, and was named the OHL’s Goaltender of the Week on three separate occasions.
The Burlington, Ontario native sits at 6’4, 205 pounds and possesses the size coveted by today’s NHL teams. And while only 20-years-old, the 2024-25 campaign marked the fourth season Day has appeared exclusively for the Firebirds. All told, he has appeared in 153 regular season games for Flint and an additional 17 playoff contests. Last fall, he also participated in the 2024 Young Stars Classic representing the Oilers and also made his NHL preseason debut.
Day is among a list of goaltending prospects in the Oilers’ organization, including 2022 fifth round selection Samuel Jonsson, 2018 second round pick Olivier Rodrigue, and current ECHL goalie Connor Ungar. Then there is also Brett Brochu, who recently earned a call-up to AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and has performed admirably, recording a .937 save percentage through three starts. In 35 games in the ECHL this season, Brochu, 22, has recorded a .924 save percentage to go with his 20-10-4 record. He has worked his way up the ranks, showcasing solid stats throughout the PJCHL, OHL, ECHL, and now AHL. Rodrigue was recently recalled to Edmonton to provide support during Stuart Skinner‘s injury absence.
Oilers Sign Connor Ungar To Entry-Level Contract
11:32 a.m.: Ungar’s deal begins next season and carries a cap hit of $860K, per PuckPedia. He’ll earn $775K in base salary, an $85K signing bonus, and $82.5K in minors salary each season.
11:16 a.m.: The Oilers have signed undrafted free agent goaltender Connor Ungar to a two-year entry-level contract, per a team release Monday. The team did not release financial terms but did confirm he’s been assigned to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
Ungar, 22, was surprisingly not signed by any professional team last summer after posting a .925 SV% and 26-7-0 record in 38 games with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. A late bloomer, the Calgary native wasn’t a full-time netminder in the major junior ranks until his age-19 season, but he was one of the best goalies in the league during his two full campaigns with the Warriors and the Red Deer Rebels.
With no professional home and having aged out of the WHL, Ungar took his talents to the Canadian collegiate circuit for 2023-24. Playing with St. Catharines’ Brock University, Ungar led Brock to a first-place finish in the OUA West Division and was the only USports goalie to reach 20 wins. In 26 appearances, he posted a .932 SV% and three shutouts.
He’s now secured his first professional home on the heels of that strong showing. While the team didn’t confirm the start date of the contract, it’s likely his NHL deal begins with the 2024-25 season, and he plays out the season with the Condors on a tryout contract. He’ll join a minor-league rotation with Jack Campbell and Olivier Rodrigue down the stretch, the latter of whom is an RFA this summer. Fifth-string netminder Ryan Fanti, who’s spent all of 2023-24 on assignment to the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets, is also a pending RFA and seems unlikely to receive a qualifying offer. Ungar will likely replace Fanti’s job on the depth chart next season, either as a backup or third-string option in Bakersfield behind Rodrigue. If his deal begins next season, Ungar will be an RFA in 2026.