We took a look at all 35 players in the system that are aged 25 or younger (as of October 1, 2023) and ranked them. It’s the Top 25 Under 25. Is this the year Gabriel Fortier makes it into the NHL on a regular basis?
Bio
Stats
Scouting Report
The good news for Gabriel Fortier is that, as of the time of this posting, he’s still in the NHL camp with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The third-year pro survived the first big roster cut and is apparently in competition for a spot in the bottom-six for the Lightning this season. Now he just has to win that spot on the roster and hold on to it.
After a 10-game stint to fill in for injuries during the 2021-22 season, Fortier was one of the last cuts in camp last season. He did manage to make it back to the Bolts for one game last season, but spent the majority of the season in Syracuse where his season was, well, it was a hockey season. He put up 11 goals and added another 18 assists in 67 games, with the 29 points down slightly from the career-high 35 he put up in 2021-22. After a pretty solid first two seasons with the Crunch, it seemed things stalled a bit for him last year.
Granted, Fortier isn’t going to be judged by his offensive production as his career goes along. He’s never been a huge point producer, with an 83-point-in-68-games 2018-19 season with Baie-Comeau the only recent season where he’s averaged more than a point a game. That’s not a bad thing, though. His path to the NHL is going to be based on how he plays in the defensive game and how he’s able to pressure the puck in the offensive zone.
Despite his size (5’10”, 183 pounds) he is a battler, especially in front of the net. Scanning his highlights, it was kind of surprising how many came from him getting into a good position in front of the net and either redirecting the puck or putting a rebound home. He is a decent skater and he is quick, especially in his own zone, allowing him break up plays by being in the right position and picking the pockets of his opponents. When he’s on his game, he’s the hardest-working player on the ice and generates opportunities by outworking his opponents.
The second-round pick profiles out as a bottom-six forward that plays smart and can kill penalties while being tenacious on the forecheck. Part of the issue last season was that there were just too many games where he didn’t make an impact, and if he’s not scoring, he has to be doing the little things that help his team control the puck (forechecking, winning puck battles, breaking up plays in the defensive zone, etc.). Part of that could be a result of a being disappointed that he didn’t make the NHL squad as he only had one point over his first eight games last season.
Since he did make his debut with the Crunch all the way back in the 2018-19 season, it is sometimes easy to forget that he is still a relatively young player and isn’t quite a finished product. Still, this will be a big season for him to see if he can make the next step. Even if he doesn’t make the opening night roster (or get claimed on waivers) he will have to show the organization that he can be a leader in Syracuse.
Highlights
Forts gets us going! pic.twitter.com/67bTFk5gyP
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) February 12, 2023
Forts showing off that quick ✋👁️ pic.twitter.com/VCpMHyMvwm
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) January 29, 2023
Forts has the touch pic.twitter.com/DLdQ7fyHT6
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) December 8, 2022
Forts gives us that lead! pic.twitter.com/U77wMEBnfh
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) November 12, 2022
Forts comes rollin in pic.twitter.com/U3Li4092SY
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) November 10, 2022
