With a lack of draft picks over the last few seasons, the Lightning are keeping an eye on undrafted junior players. They are hoping they found a diamond in the rough with Gabriel Szturc, a hard-playing forward who ticks off a lot of things that they like in their younger players.
| Name | Gabriel Szturc |
| Position | Center |
| Age (as of October 1) | 21 |
| Height/Weight | 5’11”, 190 lbs. |
| Expected 2024-25 Team | Syracuse Crunch |
| Draft – Year, Round | Undrafted free agent |
| Previous Rankings | Not Applicable |
| Writer’s Ranking | 23 |
| Reader’s Ranking | 20 |
| Final Rank | 21 |
Stats
Our Thoughts
After being passed over in his draft year, Gabriel Szturc didn’t let it bother him. Then, when the Lightning invited him to their development camp and rookie showcase, he made sure they noticed him. After hanging out for both the Lightning’s and the Crunch’s training camps, he went back to Kelowna and put up his best season in the WHL with 33 goals and 50 assists during the regular season. In 11 postseason games he added another 7 goals and 5 assists.
That was good enough for the Lightning to offer him a three-year, entry-level contract and he joined the Crunch for their postseason run. He made his professional debut in Game 3 of the North Division Semifinals against Rochester. The Crunch took the game 2-1 in overtime, but the 20-year-old was held off of the scoreboard.
The former Kelowna captain will get a chance to earn a regular spot on the Crunch roster this fall as they have some openings on offense, especially with Gabriel Dumont still recovering from his surgery. If history is any indication, Szturc will make the most of the opportunity.
At 5’11”, 190 lbs. he isn’t the biggest skater on the ice, but he uses his size well, especially on the forecheck. Usually one of the first players on the puck in the offensive zone he has the ability to go into the corners and emerge with the puck. Once he’s on the front foot, he likes to look for his teammates to give them the opportunity to put the puck on net. He is a solid passer and has a keen awareness of where his cohorts are on the ice.
He has a good shot, but does tend to defer to his teammates more than he shoots himself, and a little more aggression might be needed as he advances up the professional ranks. His skating is okay, but not great, and there could be some struggles to adjust to the faster game at the AHL or ECHL level. What he lacks in speed, he more than makes up for in work ethic.
In his own zone, he is aware of his positioning and doesn’t get caught puck-watching too often. He can disrupt passing lanes and does a good job of anticipating plays in order to get into the right spot to break things up. Some bigger players can out-muscle him in open ice, so working on adding some strength to his game wouldn’t hurt.
Is he going to be a top-six forward? It’s highly unlikely, but he does have the skills to make it to the NHL as a bottom-six, depth player that isn’t going to hurt a team when he’s out on the ice. He can kill penalties and can hold his own in the defensive zone. In other words, he fits the mold that fills the Lightning depth pool at the moment.
Highlight Videos
This is one of those plays that coaches love to see. Szturc is well away from the initial puck battle, but he skated over and pried the puck away from the Swedish players to set up the game-tying goal. It’s a solid example of his ability to dig a puck out from the boards despite not being a physically overwhelming player.
In his own zone, Szturc got to his area of responsibility and avoided the tendency players have to drift closer to the action. That allowed him to follow the puck and immediately recognize where the danger came from.
A solid entry into the zone let the Kelowna offense set up and Szturc put himself in a scoring spot. He smoothly stopped a slightly errant pass and was able to kick it to his stick quick enough to get a shot off while the goaltender was still getting set.
Not every good play results in a goal. Szturc doesn’t stop skating and is right there to pounce on the weak pass by the Canadian defender. His shot was quick and in a good spot, but clipped the bar.
Here he saw a lane to the goal, dropped his shoulder and drove to the net around a 6’3″, 195 lbs. defender. It was a nice cut, showing some decent footwork with a nice finish for the goal.
