Former second-round pick Gabriel Fortier is heading to Sweden as he signed a two-year deal with Leksands IF of the SHL earlier in the week. Fortier, who appeared in 11 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning during his time with the organization was a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer. After not finding any takers in the NHL, the 25-year-old looks to build a little value in Sweden over the next couple of seasons.
Fortier was drafted in the second round of the 2018 draft (59th overall) and joined the Syracuse Crunch a couple of seasons later as he put up 10 points (6 goals, 4 assists) in 30 games at the AHL level. The next season was his best in the organization as he recorded 14 goals and 21 assists in 72 games with the Crunch, and also made his NHL debut, recording 1 goal in 10 games with the Lightning.
From there, things just seemed to stagnate in his career. Injuries played a small role, but it was mostly inconsistency that derailed his development. On some nights Fortier would look like the best player on the ice, but all too often he would disappear for a couple of games. Despite the struggles, there was always a glimpse of potential in his game and he became the first 7-time member of our Top 25 Under 25, peaking at the 5th spot in 2022 and 2023.
When healthy he is a quick skater and has excellent puck control. He did struggle at times with the physical nature of the AHL, but had a sneaky good wrist shot when he had the space to get it off. The competition in the SHL is among the best in Europe and a couple of good seasons could lead to a deal with a NHL team in the future.
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