Nashville Predators: Should Predators consider trading Dante Fabbro's rights?

Dante Fabbro is one of the top prospects in the Nashville Predators’ organization. Questions remain on if he will sign with the team.

Every organization has prospects in their organization. These players provide a sense of hope for the team and their fans, but many fizzle out before making the major-league team. It happens in baseball and hockey all the time. Certainly, the Nashville Predators have several prospects to be excited about.

Eeli Tolvanen set the world on fire in the KHL and Olympics last season and finally tallied his first goal in the NHL on Saturday against the Blackhawks. Austin Richard made his NHL debut in the same game but was set back to Milwaukee this morning. Defensemen Matt Donovan is having a great season with the Admirals, and Pavel Koltygin has 10 goals and 8 assists in the WMJHL.

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One name keeps coming up in terms of hope for the future of the Predators. That is Dante Fabbro. Selected #17 overall in the 2016 Entry Draft, Fabbro is in his third season with Boston University. In his first two seasons, Fabbro gathered 16 goals and 32 assists in 74 games. Also, he has a plus/minus of 10 combined in those seasons. Last year, his Boston University team made it to the NCAA Frozen Four but was eliminated in the first round.

This season, however, the Terriers are not performing up to their standard. With a record of 4-7-2 overall, Boston is 1-4-2 against ranked teams. Fabbro, serving as the team’s captain, leads in points with 3 goals and 9 assists. However, he is -3 on the year. Given the team’s record and giving up 39 goals, the plus/minus is not a huge surprise. Fabbro does have a team-leading 23 blocks.

There is no doubting Fabbro has the potential to be a strong contributor with the Predators. He has proven his ability at every level. But, there are questions about if he will be a Predator.

According to the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, Fabbro’s rights remain with the Nashville Predators until either the fourth June 1 after his selection in the Entry Draft or 30 days after NHL Central Registry receives notice he is no longer a college student with some stipulations. Check out page 18 of the CBA for more information. It is a bit confusing, but the long and short of it is the Nashville Predators have exclusive rights to Fabbro until June 1 of 2020. So far, Fabbro is not signed with the Predators.

The question is will he sign with the team. Given the current state of the Nashville Predators, I would not be shocked if he signs after this season is over. Personally, I want him on this teams. With Anthony Bitetto, Matt Irwin, and Yannick Weber becoming unrestricted free agents in the next two seasons, there will be room for Fabbro on the third pairing. Does he want this or does he see himself as something more?

Given his play, he could be the next Samual Girard. Teams around the league would love to have Fabbro on their roster. Plus, the Nashville Predators have some needs right now given the injuries they experienced. Gaining a player like Matt Duchene or Wayne Simmonds would be great additions, especially if Nashville is able to sign them long-term. Is the upside of Fabbro worth risking for a Stanley Cup?

Yes. In this league, you go after the Cup when you can get it. You make moves to put your team in place to win the Stanley Cup. The current roster is good enough to win it, but adding a physical forward or a 25+ goal scorer would be great.

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So, trade Fabbro. Be willing to send a piece to get a piece. Sure, Fabbro could be a great player in the NHL, but there is no guarantee. If the goal is to win the Cup, you make the trade.

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