An opposing team’s scouting report on Kurtis Gabriel likely isn’t very long. He can fight, and that’s pretty much the only thing there is to know about him.

A 6-foot-4, 212-pound enforcer, Gabriel got into two fights in his cup of coffee with the Wild last November and went on to record 15 fights with the Iowa Wild last season — fifth-most in the American Hockey League.

He was inserted into the lineup during the NHL playoffs last season with the Wild trailing 2-0 in the best-of-seven series against the Dallas Stars for one reason: to police agitating Stars forward Antoine Roussel.

“Everyone knows I can do that stuff,” Gabriel said.

Gabriel, 23, knows he must prove to new coach Bruce Boudreau that he’s more than a fighter if he wants to make the opening night roster.

“He said he wants a fourth line that can play,” Gabriel said. “He’s said that many times. Everybody knows that. So just showing that I can contribute on a fourth line and not be rushed off the ice (will be important).”

Chris Stewart, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound forward, appears to be the only lock on the fourth line after signing a two-year, $2.3 million contract this offseason. That means there are presumably two starting spots up for grabs among players such as Gabriel, Tyler Graovac, Ryan Carter, Jordan Schroeder, Joel Erikkson-Ek and Alex Tuch, among others, jostling for them.

“He wants big, tough teams,” Gabriel said of Boudreau. “We added (Eric) Staal and Stewart and we have Graovac. So hopefully I can be the fourth big body for us. I want to bring that toughness to the team. We have been a smaller team for a couple years; it’s time for teams to know when they come to play us they’re going to pay a price.”

Gabriel said his four-game stint in the playoff series against Dallas “changed everything” for him. It showed the organization viewed him as more than just a fighter, as fights are fairly uncommon in the playoffs.

“Instead of coming up playing against tough teams, I got to come up and play against the highest-scoring team in the league and play a decent amount — and play a physical game and not actually fight,” he said. “They told me that. They said as soon as I came up, ‘You’re not here to do that.’ ”

Gabriel said Boudreau has communicated to him that he has a legitimate chance to make the team on opening night.

“I’ve been here awhile working out, and Bruce always comes in during our workouts and pulls guys aside,” he said. “He tells me something different every day. (He says), ‘You’re going to be in a lot of preseason games. You’re going to get a good look. So be ready for it.’ ”

Gabriel looked ready in a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres in the preseason opener Monday night. He settled in the slot on a delayed penalty early in the second period, and after Nick Saracino’s pass hit Nate Prosser’s skate, Gabriel found the puck and buried it.

“I got it low glove side,” he said.

Those are the types of goals Gabriel has to prove he can reliably score. He’s never going to dipsy-doodle around opposing players, so he to be an imposing fourth-line player who can win one-on-one battles and convert on scoring chances.

Boudreau seemed pleased with Gabriel’s effort Monday.

“He controlled the corners. He played a simple game. That’s what we want,” Boudreau said, emphasizing that Gabriel might boast more scoring skills than he gets credit for. “When I watched (in the summer) at Braemar, he ended up scoring a lot of goals. He has a pretty good shot. It’s underestimated.” Related Articles Bob Nevin, won 2 Stanley Cups with Maple Leafs and played 2 seasons with North Stars, dies at 82

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Still, Gabriel knows he’s unlikely to be 40-goal scorer. Instead he’s going to make his mark by making things tough on opposing players, and yes, dropping the gloves if necessary.

“Nobody is forcing me to do that. I absolutely love it. That’s just the way I play,” he said. “When guys hit my guys hard, I get upset.

“Everybody talks about it. As soon as they get the taste, they never want to go back. I don’t want to be that guy that just gets that taste and never gets it again. I want to stick around for a while, and I think they see that in me, too. I’m going to take my chance and run with it.”