He is 24 and has recently hit the 200 game marker. The games played (in NHL) where teams believe a player “is what he is” and they believe they know “what he’s going to be”, unless a case can be made that suggests otherwise.
Fabbro really doesn’t have a case to be made in that regard. He does a lot of things well, just nothing very, very well.
That doesn’t mean he’s not going to continue getting better as he matures and enters his prime. He’s still likely going to end up a solid #4, and will have a nice, extended NHL career. He’s just not going to suddenly become some high scoring dman.
Teams like Vancouver, Columbus, Anaheim, Detroit, Ottawa, etc, should all be calling. Most so-called contenders likely already have a really solid player like him in their 2nd pairing, who’s already mature and experienced.
Boeser for Fabbro maybe? Bertuzzi for Fabbro?
Boeser would fit with Nashville’s history of grabbing guys when their value might not be at its highest, and the player ends up there for years. Bertuzzi would add a dimension to Nashville, making them harder to play against. Same scenario. They’d lock him up for years on a good deal and enjoy having him.
They’ll get a productive player for Fabbro right now. Just won’t be anything special, unless he’s part of a package for an elite type player. If they wait, and he hasn’t matured more (in an NHL sense) a year from now, they’ll be lucky to receive a 2nd round pick. Maybe less.
Nashville has always been good at selling high and buying low. If they don’t believe Fabbro will ever amount to more than your standard, dependable #4, try moving him to a team who thinks he can be more, or, like the teams I mentioned, who still need to solidify their blue line for years to come. Teams who might think he has a chance to be more than Nashville does, but who would also be comfortable with him being a solid #4 for the next 5-10 years.
A team who will send Nashville a productive player in return.
