Based on our incomplete archives it appears that Gabriel Fortier is the first seven-time member of the Top 25 Under 25. The fact that we didn’t start this until 2013, didn’t run the countdown in 2016, and the top six of 2015 are lost to the digital ether, our records show that no prospect has run the table from draft until he aged out until Fortier.
| Name | 24 |
| Position | Forward |
| Age (as of October 1) | 24 |
| Height/Weight | 5’10”, 183 lbs. |
| Expected 2024-25 Team | Syracuse Crunch/Lightning |
| Draft – Year, Round | 2018, Round 2 (#59) |
| Previous Rankings | #5 (2023), #5 (2022), #11 (2021), #13 (2020), #15 (2019), #25 (2018) |
| Writer’s Ranking | 14 |
| Reader’s Ranking | 12 |
| Final Rank | 13 |
Stats
Our Thoughts
After cracking the Top 5 in the rankings the last two seasons, it seems a little Gabriel Fortier fatigue has set in with the voters. That’s on us honestly, because Fortier has developed into the player we thought he was going to. This is how Alan described his potential in Fortier’s inaugural ranking,
“His ceiling as a professional will be determined by his scoring. If his all-around game continues to develop the way it has so far, he should be able to find a home on the bottom two lines in the NHL. But if he can improve his finishing and start racking up points more consistently, he could push his ceiling up a bit from where it is now.”
At 24, Fortier is on track to compete for the open bottom-six spot in training camp this fall, if he earns it, he can make his case to move up in the line-up. Should Fortier not make it, he’ll hopefully clear waivers and return to Syracuse to be one of their on-ice leaders (it wouldn’t be surprising to see him with an “A” on his chest).
From there he will have to show the organization that he can take that next step. Much like Lucas Edmonds, the player ranked one spot below Fortier, the tools are all there, but they need to raise their game just a little bit to advance to the top level. It’s going to be a big year for him. With less than 80 games of NHL experience but more than three seasons of professional hockey under his belt, Fortier could end up a Group VI unrestricted free agent. If he does make the Lightning and appears in 79 Games with them, he enters next summer as a restricted free-agent with arbitration rights.
Fortier, much like Cole Koepke who left as a Group VI this past summer, is the type of prospect that has been blocked a little bit by the Lightning’s relentless pursuit of another Stanley Cup. Rather than give an unproven player like Fortier a chance to adjust on the bottom-six, the Lightning have chosen to fill those spots with aged veterans like Tyler Motte, Luke Glendening, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, and Corey Perry.
Even when younger players do get a chance, it’s usually brief (Fortier 1 game in 2022-23, Koepke 26 games over two years). It seems any mistake they make, knocks them out of the line-up for a few games while the veterans get a bit more of a leash to not be productive. Young forwards that do stick, Mitchell Chaffee, are more of an exception than the rule.
The Lightning’s current method of getting forward prospects into the NHL is a story for another day, though. Let’s get back to what Fortier does well.
Fortier is a hard forechecker that can move up and down the ice with ease. He is a good skater that is strong on the puck and willing to play in the corners and in front of the net. With his slighter frame and willingness to be physical, he’s going to miss a game here and there so the fact that he missed 10 games last year isn’t unexpected.
Fortier is a jack-of-all-trades forward who can kill off penalties and work as a pivot man on the power play. His wrist shot is nice and accurate, but he scores a majority of his goals from right in front of the net on rebounds, tap-ins, and deflections. Defensively he is active with his stick to break up passing lanes and has the ice IQ to read plays as they develop so that he is in position to defend.
In the playoffs last season he stepped up his game and had one of his best runs in a Crunch uniform. In eight games he had an overtime goal to go along with four assists. Along with that, he was one of the most notable forwards on the roster, something that isn’t always the case with him. Throughout his Syracuse career, there have been some instances where he just struggles to make an impact for a stretch of games. If he can avoid that this year, he could get to the 40-ish point mark.
With the influx of flashier prospects the Lightning have had over the last couple of seasons, Fortier has been thrown into a bit of a shadow. Despite this he remains one of their most NHL-ready skaters and should see a call-up or two if he doesn’t make the opening night roster.
Highlight Videos
The actual goal was pretty easy – a back-door tap-in, but how he got there was a lot tougher. He battled through a screen in front of the net to get into position. If he doesn’t win the positional battle, this play would have dissolved into nothingness.
He started the play with a key offensive-zone face-off in overtime. Then he drifted to an area in front of the net. By not drifting too close to a defender, he was able to keep his stick free and available to deflect the point shot. Excellent positioning and hand-eye coordination.
Another goal from the slot. He positioned himself in the right spot to take advantage of the poor coverage down low.
Establish inside position. Free and active stick. Tip it home. Wash, Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
There is something so soothing about a well-run set play in hockey when the majority of the game is barely constrained chaos. Fortier one-timed the pass from Jack Finley directly to Joe Carroll for the power play goal.
Find a goal that wasn’t a tip-in or rebound challenge. Here Fortier had a step on the defense but he could feel the opportunity about to be shut down. He snapped the wrister just under the bar for a really nice goal.
