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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
If and when this prospect dog will have his Day with the Edmonton Oilers
The Top 20 countdown of our 2025 Cult of Hockey Prospect Series continues. These are the twenty young men in the system today closest to making an impact with the big club. Players only fall off the list once they: -Make the NHL -Get dealt to a different organization -Age out, or… -Drop off the map. O.K.? Let us proceed… 2025 Edmonton Oilers Top Prospect Rankings #17 – Nathaniel Day, G (Voters: David Staples, Kurt Leavins, Jim Matheson, Ira Cooper). A few days ago, I wrote how the Oilers only have two goaltenders in their Top 20 prospects. That is when we were featuring young Eemil Vinni at #20. The other goalie in the Top 20 is the subject of this prospect preview, juts mere notches higher on the ladder than his tender brethren… …or at least that is how the Cult of Hockey panel sees them. A Grimsby, Ontario native, Nathaniel Day was drafted in 2023 by Edmonton, in Round 6, number 184 overall. Day is a fairly tall kid at 6'4, weighs in at 205, and catches and shoots left. He is 20 years old right now and will turn 21 in February. Puckpedia has him on a three-year contract with a cap hit of $856,667 through 2028. After a strong finish to 2023-24 for Flint of the OHL when he supplanted a more experienced starter, Day took another decent forward in 2024-25. In 59 games he was 26-25-5, with a 3.07 GAA and a .894 SV%. Those were improvements from 2024-24's 54 GP, 25-26-2, 3.73 GAA, 0.0868 SV%. Progress. He then had a productive cup of coffee with Fort Wayne of the ECHL at season's end. He was 2-0-0 in 3 games with a 0.43 GAA and a .981 SV%. For the Komets in the playoffs, he was 2-1-1, 2.17 GAA, 0.914 GAA. Small sample, but encouraging. Here is what the scouts say. Elite Prospects: – 'Day displays a lot of patience in a variety of different scoring opportunities. He is solid and composed on breakaways, rarely making the first move. When the puck is worked around the zone, he shows good attention to detail by making micro adjustments with his feet to stay on angle, even when the play around him speeds up.' From our old friend Bruce McCurdy's Cult of Hockey article back on draft day: – 'His wide stance could become more of an issue as he moves on in his career. It forces him to make a lot of lunging moves across the crease on plays that he could otherwise beat on his feet with a confident push. A narrower stance that gives him better access to his edges, combined with the patience that he already has could be a deadly combination. Questions about tracking have also emerged because too many clean shots beat him.' And finally, from Dobber Prospects: – 'An athletic goaltender who can make high-difficulty saves. Needs to get better with reads and consistency.' Other player pluses: -His height combined with his upright posture enables him to cover a lot of net. -Moves well post-to-post. Good news, for a bigger man. -He has quick pads. Fits his stand-up approach. Where does he need work? -As alluded to above, Day can go down early, and leave himself scrambling to get back on his feet where he is strongest. -Tracking the puck. Common for young goalies. His (small sample) good start in the ECHL is a good sign, though. -Perimeter & Angles. Related to the above, he can struggle with outside shots. General observations: -Day was a Ken Holland/Tyler Wright selection, so Stan Bowman and Rick Pracey may not have the same investment in him. That is just how it works in most organizations, and hardly exclusive to Edmonton. We shall see. Projection: -Nathaniel Day has a way to go and a lot to prove and improve upon before he would be considered a strong NHL prospect. In the short term, expect his time this upcoming season to be split between the ECHL and AHL. Most goalies develop slower than skaters and just need the reps at a lower pro level first. So, if he starts in Fort Wayne and even spends most of the season there, that is not necessarily a danger sign. -But if Day ends up in more games for the Condors than the Komets this season, that would be a significant plus. It would signal encouraging maturity and growth in the points outlined above. That would be considered the best case case scenario for Day, in the short-term. -As for his NHL future? At this time, it would seem several seasons away at the very best. Day may stack up no better than the organizational Number five. But as a 6th Round pick, he was always going to be a long shot. Next up…prospect #16 from my Cult of Hockey colleague David Staples. Now on Bluesky @ Also, find me on Threads @kleavins, Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@ This article is not AI generated. Recently, at The Cult… STAPLES: Are the Oilers really in trade talks for Boston's 1st Round winger LEAVINS: Oilers cap challenges not Connor McDavid's problem Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025. Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NHL Prospect Pool Overview '25-26: Catch Up On Every Team's Pipeline
The NHL prospect pool overview series is our annual summer series breaking down every team's prospect pipeline.
Forbes
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Top 2025 Draft Prospects Put Through The Paces At NHL Scouting Combine
After missing most of the 2024-25 season due to injury, 2025 NHL draft prospect Roger McQueen was a ... More full participant in the June 7 fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine. (Photo by Joe Hrycych/NHLI via Getty Images) Looking through the newly released lists of the top historical performers in fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine, it's clear that the correlation between high test results and NHL success is, let's say, loose. There are certainly some familiar stars among the top 20 all-time performers in each of the eight categories, as well as some developing players who have not yet reached the NHL level. All told, it's a reminder that physical testing is only one component of the combine, and not a clear predictor of future NHL success. The formal part of 2025 edition, which ran from June 2-7 in Buffalo, also included medical evaluations and the opportunities for teams to meet with the 90 prospects on hand and get to know them better ahead of the 2025 Draft later this month. And with the draft moving to a decentralized format that won't bring hockey's powerbrokers together in Los Angeles, this year's combine was also an important opportunity for GMs and agents to gather and start laying the foundation for off-season trades and signings. From a medical standpoint, the biggest news of the week is that top prospects Matthew Schaefer and Roger McQueen were cleared to participate in the fitness testing despite missing large parts of their seasons due to injuries. Top 2025 NHL draft prospect Matthew Schaefer prepares to perform the Wingate Cycle Ergometer test ... More during the 2025 NHL Scouting Combineon June 7, 2025 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joe Hrycych/NHLI via Getty Images) Schaefer, a defenseman with the OHL's Erie Otters, went wire-to-wire as the top-ranked North American skater in the 2024-25 rankings from NHL Central Scouting. After a standout showing as captain of Canada's gold-medal team at last summer's Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, Schaefer posted 22 points in 17 games with Erie last fall before breaking his clavicle at the wold junior championship. While pronouncing himself 'fully healed,' Schaefer did not take part in the upper-body-centric bench press or pull-up tests at the combine, 'because I haven't been doing that,' he told reporters. He did rank 15th in the grueling VO2Max bike test of aerobic fitness and measured well in both peak and mean anaerobic performance and grip strength. McQueen, a center with the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings who clocked in at 6-foot-5.25 and 198 pounds, brings the kind of size in the middle that NHL teams covet. But he has struggled with back issues for the last two years. After missing five months of the 2024-25 regular season, he returned to the Wheat Kings in March, but played just three playoff games before being sidelined once again. Originally misdiagnosed with a bulging disk, a surgeon discovered a spinal fracture during McQueen's time off this season, and got him on a proper healing regimen. The playoff injury was a muscle issue related to the fracture, McQueen told reporters this week. After two weeks of healing, he's now at 100 percent. Sitting eighth among North American skaters in the Central Scouting rankings despite having missed so much time, McQueen passed his medical at the combine and took part in all the fitness tests. His best showing was an eighth-place finish in the horizontal jump. Carter Bear poses for a portrait during the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine at the HarborCenter on June ... More 05, 2025 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images) Two other top-ranked prospects were not able to participate in the fitness testing. Carter Bear, a left wing with the WHL's Everett Silvertips, was leading his team in scoring with 82 points in 56 games when he suffered a partial tear of his Achilles tendon in early March. Ranked 10th among North American skaters, Bear is back on the ice and told reporters at the combine that his physiotherapist says he's a month ahead of schedule in his recovery. Because he has just begun doing weight-bearing exercises on his injured leg, he did not take part in any of the fitness testing, but expects to be 100 percent for training camp. Caleb Desnoyers, ranked seventh among North American skaters, attended the combine just days after his Moncton Wildcats were eliminated in the semi-final of the CHL's 2025 Memorial Cup. He also did not test, as he is dealing with wrist issues. After their draft-lottery win a month ago, the New York Islanders hold the top pick in the 2025 draft. According to Mike Morreale of new Islanders GM Mathieu Darche took nothing for granted, interviewing more than 60 of the 90 players on hand at the combine over the course of the week. Another hot topic around the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine was the new opportunity for CHL players to join NCAA squads starting next season. The biggest names at the combine who have announced their intention to change tracks next year were 17th-ranked left wing Malcolm Spence of the Erie Otters, who's headed to the University of Michigan, and 25th-ranked center Cole Reschny of the Victoria Royals, who has committed to the University of North Dakota. Other participants have yet to make their final decisions; some will be visiting schools during the weeks leading up to the draft on June 27-28.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Prospect News: Kraken Sign Three Draftees, Make Others Wait In Lead Up To 2025 Draft
The 2025 NHL Entry Draft is set to take place June 27th and 28th in Los Angeles, CA. There, a new crop of NHL prospects will be selected over seven rounds (224 players overall). While some draft picks may sign their entry-level contracts immediately, others may remain unsigned as the team watches their development. Since the end of the 2024-25 season, the Kraken have offered contracts to three prospects: Andrei Loshko, Nathan Villenueve, and (reportedly) Tyson Jugnauth. Andrei Loshko, born in Belarus, spent the 2024-25 season with the Niagara Ice Dogs in the OHL. When their season ended, he signed his entry-level contract and joined the Coachella Valley Firebirds where he scored two goals in his AHL debut. Also in the OHL, Nathan Villenueve spent his 3rd season with the Sudbury Wolves where he racked up 75 points in 61 games played. It was his highest scoring season thus far, and his improvement earned him some time in the AHL where he played eight games with the Firebirds. No official announcement has been made about Tyson Jugnauth's entry-level contract, but it is rumored that one has been offered. The 2022 4th-round pick started in the NCAA but spent his past two seasons with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, earning the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as Defenseman of the Year. Fans are also still waiting for an announcement regarding Everett Silvertips' Captain Kaden Hammell. Hammell was drafted in the 5th-round in 2023 and a contract announcement was expected when the Silvertips ended their playoff run in late April. If the Kraken do not offer Hammell a contract by June, their rights expire and the defenseman becomes a free agent. Related: Kraken Prospect Reportedly Signing NHL Contract Seattle Kraken prospect Tyson Jugnauth is reportedly signing an NHL contract despite committing to play for Michigan State University for the 2025-26 season, according to Nathaniel Bott. Stay updated with the most interesting Kraken stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News or Join the discussion with others in your hockey community on the Seattle Kraken Forum.
