2023 Draft - 2nd Pick: Nathan Day (G) EDIT-Signed to a 3 Year ELC on 4/5/25

[Seachd]

Discuss!

 

[bone]

Picking a goalie with only 1 of 3 picks. Not sure I'm a fan of this one. Though I know very little of the player. Quick look at stats doesn't inspire much.

 

[alphahelix]

Were the Firebirds just an atrocious dumpster fire this season? Or is this a bad pick

EDIT: looks like their other older goalie also had bad stats

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Don't know much about him, but I have some hopes. Surprising how many goalies are going.

 

[29Beast97Mode]

 

[bone]

Were the Firebirds just an atrocious dumpster fire this season? Or is this a bad pick

They made playoffs. He had a winning record despite horrible stats, so who knows.

I'm curious how he achieved a tie in a playoff game though.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

i like the idea of taking lots of goalies and see how they develop over time

 

[Soundwave]

.896 in the playoffs? Can see why the Oilers scouts popped a boner.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

They made playoffs. He had a winning record despite horrible stats, so who knows.

I'm curious how he achieved a tie in a playoff game though.

View attachment 723604

i'm guessing thats an OT loss

 

[McDoused]

I like what sam cosentino said about him. He said he had a tremendous second half and propelled his team into the playoffs.

 

[CycloneSweep]

That’s Campbells numbers

 

[Not Canada Drai]

The instant negativity around 6th round pick players is why I stay off HFboards.

 

[Soli]

@Brock had this to say:

35. Nathaniel Day - Goaltender - Flint Firebirds
The Firebirds brought veteran Will Cranley in this year to be the starter and Day ended up stealing the job away by the time the OHL playoffs rolled around. Day is only 6'3, but he actually looks even bigger than that in the crease because of his upright posture. He's an imposing presence in the crease. Day is really tough to beat in tight. He's got quick pads and a good glove hand and his body control is actually quite good for a young netminder. Composed is a word that I would use. Where Day can struggle is on outside shots because his positioning and angles are inconsistent. He is obviously a lot more comfortable playing deeper in his crease. Additionally, his agility needs work. He's OK post to post, but he gets himself in trouble when he goes down too early and is forced to scramble. Improving his quickness up/down and his quickness moving North/South would really help Day with his consistency and his coverage of perimeter shots.

 

[Spawn]

@Seachd never putting the round/pick kills me lol. Then in 3 years when this kid busts people be like “can’t believe we used a 2nd rounder on him” when he was actually a 6th rounder. Not that he will/won’t of course.

 

[29Beast97Mode]

Kind of hard to be critical of an 18 year goalie

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

Team needs to take as many swings at drafting goalies until it works as far as I'm concerned. Been an organizational weakness for as long as I've been a fan.

 

[Beerfish]

Should have picked Wallestadt two years ago but still good to pick a goalie in almsot every draft if you are going to use lower picks for them.

 

[Seachd]

@Seachd never putting the round/pick kills me lol. Then in 3 years when this kid busts people be like “can’t believe we used a 2nd rounder on him” when he was actually a 6th rounder.

It's been an internal mental struggle since 2004. Sticking with tradition even though it's confusing as balls.

 

[BarDownBobo]

Two OHL picks after all the bitching about no OHL scouts is kinda hilarious to me.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Two OHL picks after all the bitching about no OHL scouts is kinda hilarious to me.

Staois was our OHL scout.

The instant negativity around 6th round pick players is why I stay off HFboards.

The guy has a 5% chance of ever playing an NHL game. Given goalies develop slowly and unknowns can pop when they are in their early to mid 20’s a goalie at 6th is as good a play as there is.

 

[bone]

The comment about stocking the cupboards with goalies is somewhat valid, but I'm less convinced of that when we only have three picks total in the draft, especially as there are many young goalies with similar potential available by other means at low cost.

Ultimately, its a sixth rounder so the risk is pretty much non existant, but I tend to like home run swings at this point in the draft. It doesn't feel like this is one. Odds of him even becoming a trade asset in the next five years is very low, but now that he's an Oiler will be cheering him on to success the next few years.

 

[BarDownBobo]

Staois was our OHL scout.

Oh I’m fully aware of that, he knows that league better than anyone you could hire I’m sure. But a lot of people refused to believe that and whined incessantly about not having a dedicated OHL scout.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Oh I’m fully aware of that, he knows that league better than anyone you could hire I’m sure. But a lot of people refused to believe that and whined incessantly about not having a dedicated OHL scout.

Yeah I know hey. Media clickbait headline that I think Gregor really ran with IIRC.

 

[Gordy Elbows]

.896 in the playoffs? Can see why the Oilers scouts popped a boner.

Dustin Schwartz has entered the chat: “I can get that number down…easy”.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

18 year old tender. Who knows. Good size and sounds like a solid athletic base.

Oil continue their volume dartboard strategy of hoping to land on legitimate goaltender prospects with depth picks. With a three pick draft and a fairly thin prospect pool, I would have anticipated a dice throw on positional player. However they did get a more advanced centre prospect flipping their fifth to NY Rangers.

We're seeing pedigree first round drafted goaltenders cover their bet well. This might have been a way to go several years back before Skinner emerged into a legitimate prospect tender. I'm open minded about Day (none of us have more than surface impressions on prospects) but would liked another centre or d.

Pick's in. Park and wait to see how young Day grows with more junior development and eventually some years of farming.