With the relaxation period of the break over for the majority of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the action is returning to the ice. In preparation for the return of competitive hockey, the Bolts recalled a couple of forwards on Tuesday. Gage Goncalves, who has suited up for 33 games for the Lightning this season, was expected to return the join after the break. Joining him on the flight from Syracuse was Gabriel Fortier, which was a bit of a surprise.
Goncalves seemed to have found his NHL stride during his latest recall as he has posted assists in five of his last six games with the Lightning after recording just one goal and one assist in his first 27 outings. During his brief sojourn with the Crunch he had four points in three games, so overall, he’s on one heck of a scoring binge.
As for Fortier. It’s the first call-up of the year for the 25 year-old, who had a ten-game stint with the Bolts in 2021-22, and appeared in one game the following season. This year in Syracuse, Fortier has 17 points (10 goals, 7 assists) in 37 games. He’s been on a bit of a heater as well, recording a goal and three assists in his last four games.
It’s been an up-and-down tenure within the Lightning organization for the former second-round pick. He seemed on track to compete for a spot on the team the last couple of seasons, but has been passed over by other prospects in the organization. Even among our readers and staff the shine has worn off a bit as he was ranked 13th among the Top 25 Under 25 prospects this season.
This season is a big one for Fortier as he now has more than three full seasons in the AHL and less than 80 NHL games, which means he’s set to be an Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer. A strong showing could lend him an alternative path to the NHL (kind of like Cole Koepke).
We’ll have to see if Fortier is called up just for practice while the team waits for their 4 Nations Face-Off players to return to Tampa or if he’s going to get some starting time when the season resumes against Seattle. Assuming everyone is healthy (Nikita Kucherov missed a game prior to the break) there doesn’t seem to be a spot for Fortier unless Coach Cooper is planning on benching one of the veterans.
