Gabriel Fortier to the Wildcats?

Rumours are starting to heat up once again especially surrounding two Maritimes Division rivals the Cape Breton Eagles and the Moncton Wildcats.

It would appear both teams are very interesting in the services of Baie-Comeau Drakkar forward Gabriel Fortier.

Which team is going to land Fortier? And how would that potentially change the landscape of the Maritimes Division and Eastern Conference for that matter.

Two very good teams are going to be exiting after the second round of the President Cup Playoffs if things play out the way they should.

Gabriel Fortier has been on the Moncton Wildcats radar for quite some time.

The offensively gifted gritty two-way winger would definitely compliment the Cats top six and perhaps propel them into the upper stratosphere of championship contenders.

The Wildcats brain trust know full well what Fortier can bring given his performance during last year’s 1st round playoff series.

Fortier only had 3 pts in that series but you have to look beyond the stats sheet.

Fortier can play in any situation and is physically and emotionally engaged every time he steps on the ice. The Tampa Bay Lightning Prospect can really do it all!

Fortier’s possible addition to Cats line up brings back memories of past acquisitions like Kelsey Tessier and Nicholas Deschamps in 2009-2010.

Tessier and Deschamps played a vital role and put the Cats over the top that season.

You can never have enough scoring and skill when you are going all in!

What would the Cats forward group look like with the addition of Fortier?

McKenna Groulx Fortier

Pelletier Khovanov L’Heureux Desnoyers Cyr Hudson

Foreman Stewart King

Dauost/Langlois/Rumsey

It’s also rumoured that the Cats maybe be in on Liam Leonard as well. If true Leonard would solidify the Cats bottom six, but the burning question remains do the Cats have enough assets to land the likes of Fortier?

If the Drakkar strictly want draft picks the answer to that would be a resounding no!

Nevertheless, a combination of picks and prospects in a package deal would be definitely doable.

So who would the Drakkar target in the deal?

That would completely depend on what prospects are left after the Jared McIsaac deal is announced after the World Juniors.

One would assume the Drakkar would be after Julien Hebert and Nicolas Pavan and potentially some veteran presence that would provide leadership and energy to their lineup next season.

If I were other organizations I would be targeting a player like Sean Stewart. Stewart has been outstanding all season long for the Cats and would be a welcomed addition to any defensive corps next season as a 19 year old.