Dante Fabbro

While some speculated that he may have been a name traded at today’s deadline, the deadline is now passed and Nashville Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro has actually signed an extension with the team, not been traded. According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, he has signed a one-year, $2.5MM extension.

Last month, we covered Fabbro’s situation with the Predators, citing reports that the team had explored the possibility of trading the defenseman, potentially to an in-conference rival such as the San Jose Sharks. The 24-year-old defender has had a difficult season, seeing his production and ice time decline from last year. Last season, the smooth-skating former Boston University Terrier scored 24 points in 66 games and averaged over 19 minutes of ice time per game.

This season, Fabbro has managed just eight points in 56 games and has seen his average ice time drop to just 16 minutes per game, with nearly a minute and a half of that coming on the penalty kill. While some believed that a change of scenery was necessary for the 2016 first-round pick, such a change did not come before today’s trade deadline and he has instead secured a contract for next season containing a $100k raise.

This does not, of course, rule out the possibility that Fabbro will be traded in the offseason and eventually receive that change of scenery that some believe he needs. What this does mean, though, is now on a more talent-depleted Predators team Fabbro will have the opportunity to finish his season on a strong note and potentially even impress the team’s new general manager, Barry Trotz, who will take after the season.

Securing this extension might have been made especially pressing given the Predators’ acquisition of Tyson Barrie from the Edmonton Oilers, as his addition to their lineup means that now Fabbro has two players (Barrie and Alexandre Carrier) above him on the Predators’ right-shot defenseman depth chart. Especially if the Predators decide to keep Barrie beyond this season (which admittedly seems unlikely at this stage given the amount of veterans they have shipped out) Fabbro’s future in Nashville, even with this extension, could be made all the more unclear.

No matter what, though, Fabbro’s contract for next season is secured and that means he’ll be afforded the opportunity to continue his growth as an NHLer and potentially realize some of the promise that got him drafted 17th overall in 2016.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

While the Nashville Predators haven’t missed the playoffs since 2013-14 (excluding a qualifying-round loss during the 2020 bubble) this season is certainly trending in that direction.

The production of some of Nashville’s key players has regressed, leaving coach John Hynes’ squad seven points behind the Minnesota Wild for the last Wild Card spot. While the team is 6-4 in its last ten games, they just recently lost Ryan Johansen to an injury that could keep him out for a while.

This has led many to believe that the best path forward for the Predators would be to punt on this season and look to begin a rebuild. Some in-market observers view the best path for the franchise to be a pivot to fully focusing on building for the future. Given the track record of GM David Poile and the Predators as a whole, though, it does seem unlikely that a full tear-down would be considered.

Instead, the Predators may prefer to work around the margins of their roster, hoping that a resurgence from their core players and smaller-scale additions could help the team return to contention.

One of those smaller-scale moves Nashville may be considering is trading defenseman Dante Fabbro. Speaking on the Jeff Marek Show today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Predators “have explored moving” Fabbro, and specifically references the San Jose Sharks as a potential destination.

While the basement-dwelling Sharks may not seem like a natural fit to add a player, Fabbro will turn 25 in June, meaning he’s still young enough to be a legitimate consideration for the Sharks’ plans.

Moreover, acquiring Fabbro now rather than in the offseason (where he will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent) would give the Sharks a valuable run of games of Fabbro in their lineup, so they could see how he fits in their organization and evaluate their plans for his next contract.

The smooth-skating 2016 first-round pick was a key blueliner for Sharks head coach David Quinn during his time at Boston University, and while his offensive production has cratered this season (to just eight points in 52 games) if there’s anyone that could get the best out of Fabbro, it’d be Quinn. This could be an opportunity for San Jose to buy relatively low on an asset that could grow into something more if he clicks with his new environment.

For the Predators, the rationale for trading Fabbro could center around how they view the prospect of heading to arbitration with him. Last season’s breakout defenseman Alexandre Carrier will also be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in the summer, as will Tanner Jeannot and Cody Glass. It’s possible that the Predators simply view getting an asset in return and moving on from Fabbro as the best path forward for both the player and the team.

In any case, Fabbro will be a name to watch leading up to the March 3rd trade deadline, as a Fabbro trade could either be a relatively minor move, or even the opening salvo of a long-awaited rebuilding process in Nashville.

Pictures courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

It has been a bit of a tough start to the season for the Predators.  While they sit fourth in the Central entering today’s action, they’re among the lowest-scoring teams in the league, ranking 29th in goals scored at the moment.  With that in mind, they may have to look outside the organization to try to add some scoring help.  One possible option is to move a defenseman and in his latest column for the Toronto Star, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports that Nashville GM David Poile would like to move a defenseman, suggesting that Dante Fabbro could be had for the right price.

The 24-year-old locked down a regular role in 2019-20, logging over 19 minutes a game and it looked as if the Predators had found yet another quality young defender that they could mold into a core piece.  However, he hasn’t really progressed much since then.  His playing time continued to hover around the 19-minute mark until this season as it’s down to just 16 minutes a night while he has just four assists in 19 games.

While he’s still holding down a regular role, his usage has dipped to that of a number six defenseman which, at a $2.4MM price tag, is a bit pricey for that spot on the depth chart.  Notably, Fabbro will be owed a qualifying offer this summer at that same price point while also being arbitration-eligible and if he rides out the season in the role he has now, he could very well be a non-tender candidate in the summer.  Accordingly, moving him now might make sense.

Among Nashville’s other defenders, it’s safe to say that Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, and Ryan McDonagh aren’t going anywhere.  Jeremy Lauzon has three years remaining after this one on his deal at a $2MM AAV which could be intriguing to some teams if they feel he can be more than a third-pairing option while Alexandre Carrier has taken a step back this season after a breakout 30-point campaign last year.  Veteran Mark Borowiecki is currently injured so he’s unlikely to move either.

That makes Fabbro the logical choice to move if Poile decides that he wants to move a defender and while his trade value has undoubtedly dipped compared to what it would have been a few years ago, it’s also possible that it drops even further if they get to the offseason with him being questionable to be given his qualifying offer.  If they feel that Jordan Gross (who presently is with AHL Milwaukee but has two goals in three NHL games this season) can fill a similar role that Fabbro is now, Fabbro certainly could be an interesting addition to the trade market in the coming weeks.