Columbus Blue Jackets claim defenseman Dante Fabbro from Nashville Predators
The Blue Jackets are back to carrying eight NHL defensemen.
The new guy entering the mix is Dante Fabbro, 26, who was claimed off waivers Sunday from the Nashville Predators. Fabbro, a right-handed shot, hasn't recorded a point in six games this season and had -3 plus/minus rating with the Predators ― who selected him 17th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft.
"When I was initially told I was getting put on waivers, it was a bit of a tough pill to swallow and kind of bittersweet," Fabbro said. "There's a lot of things going through your mind, from whether I'm going to clear and go to (AHL) Milwaukee or whether there's going to be a trade off the waiver or a team picks me up. It was a bit stressful, to be honest, not knowing my future for those 24 hours, where I'm going, but with Columbus claiming me off waivers, I was excited and a little bit relieved. I can't give the Columbus organization enough for giving me another opportunity to go out and play again."
Fabbro, who makes $2.5 million in the final year of a contract that will make him an unrestricted free agent next summer, has 315 NHL games under his belt. He gives the Blue Jackets another viable defenseman who can move the puck up the ice from his own end.
“Dante Fabbro is a puck-moving defenseman who can play in all situations, and adds mobility and depth to our backend,” Blue Jackets president of hockey operations/general manager Don Waddell said in a statement.
Kent Johnson, an injured forward whom Fabbro sometimes skates with during the summer in Vancouver, was moved to injured reserve while rehabbing a shoulder injury, which cleared the required roster spot. Fabbro will join the Blue Jackets in Seattle, where he'll meet them upon arrival at the team's hotel.
"I'm going to a place where I know a few people and a few players," Fabbro said. "I think it's honestly an amazing situation to have some people I know and to feel, you know, that they wanted me. That feels good as a player."
Fabbro joins a defensive corps that includes Jack Johnson, Jordan Harris and David Jiricek rotating into and out of a third pairing that started out with Erik Gudbranson locked into the right point.
Since Gudbranson went down in the season's third game with a shoulder injury that required surgery, the elder Johnson has taken over the role of providing veteran experience for that pairing. Harris and Jiricek are currently locked into competition for ice time playing with Johnson, and Fabbro now steps into the equation.
Jake Christiansen, who’s played every game on the second pairing in his first full season in Columbus, could get lumped into that battle after a recent dip in play during the Jackets' four-game skid they're hoping to end Sunday in Anaheim. How Fabbro fits into the puzzle will be interesting to observe. He provides another puck-moving defender with a similar build as Christiansen and Harris, but his right-handed shot could replace that part of what Gudbranson brought to the right side.
Fabbro is off to a slow start offensively, but 72 career points on 16 goals and 56 assists shows there might be untapped potential inside the opposing blue line. He also has a +6 rating in his career plus 159 penalty minutes while playing in seven seasons for the Predators, who are off to a surprisingly slow 5-9-1 start.
Fabbro was scratched by Nashville in eight games, including the past six in a row.
"Trying to find a way to impact the team positively has been a thing throughout my whole career, whether that's being strong defensively or trying to improve offensively," Fabbro said. "I feel like my puck movement, transition game and breaking pucks out are the best parts of my game, so if I do get in, I want to focus on that and get my base down again. Nothing comes easy, so I'm ready to work for it."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets claim Dante Fabbro from Nashville Predators
