Two of the Nashville Predators restricted free agents, Dante Fabbro and Juuse Saros, filed for arbitration for their next contracts, with the dates for the hearings set for two weeks from now. Fortunately, one of those hearings will no longer take place.
While we still wait for news regarding Saros’ contract, Fabbro and the Predators thankfully managed to come to terms, locking up Fabbro to a two-year contract worth $4.8M.
More from Predlines
- Nashville Predators 2023 Training Camp Spotlight: Kiefer Sherwood
- Captain Candidates if Nashville Predators Didn’t Have Roman Josi
- The All-Time 25 Games or Less Nashville Predators Lineup
- Nashville Predators 2023 Training Camp Spotlight: Cody Glass
- Joakim Kemell Flashes his Offense in Nashville Predators Loss to Tampa
This news was a breath of fresh air for multiple reasons. First and foremost, it is always a good thing to avoid arbitration with your players, but more importantly, it ensures that Fabbro has a place on the team now and is moving forward.
Fabbro’s benching during the playoffs threw everyone for a loop, making all of us wonder if anything worrisome was happening behind the scenes.
We still do not know why Fabbro did not play against the Carolina Hurricanes, and we may never know, but it did not rob him of his place on the team, which is the most important thing.
As for the contract itself, the price was slightly higher than expected, but nothing to complain about by any means.
Fabbro Has A Great Opportunity For The Nashville Predators
Since the start of the 2019-2020 season, Fabbro has continued to improve. While he still commits the occasional turnover or defensive lapse of some kind, he is becoming more and more comfortable in his own zone, something he struggled with when he became a regular roster player.
This new contract will give Fabbro an opportunity to keep improving his game and further prove that he deserves a significant role on Nashville’s roster. Additionally, two years is the perfect contract length, as it does not compromise the team’s future cap situation.
Fabbro’s contract also gives GM David Poile the choice of deciding if Fabbro should be granted an extension at the end of next year or if he still needs to prove himself before being awarded a more lucrative deal.
Hopefully, fans can look at Fabbro’s deal as a sign of good things to come. They should have every reason to believe that Saros will receive a new contract before his arbitration date. So get it done, and let’s get ready for a new season and a new chapter in Predators hockey.