Fabbro has shown that he is a valuable defender in this competition. During his first three years in Nashville as a featured starter, Fabbro averaged more than 19 minutes each season. Although he was heavily used, he found his offensive game in 2021-22 as he doubled his previous highest point total with three goals for 24 points with a plus-13 rating in 66 games played.
Since that season, however, Fabbro has seen his role on this team decrease, averaging 15:38 minutes of ice time over the previous three seasons. But he’s setting a career low this season as Fabbro has struggled to stay in the lineup consistently, starting six of the Predators’ 14 games this season. The right-shot defenseman has yet to find the scoresheet this season, with a minus-three rating and just seven shots on goal in 13:06 minutes of average ice time – the lowest since his rookie year.
But what’s most confusing is that when he comes into the lineup, Fabbro often plays up top with captain Roman Josi, who averages more than 25 minutes per game. How does a player go from top-pairing matchups to a healthy scratch?
It’s not that his analyzes are bad either. Of the seven defensemen playing for the Predators this season, Fabbro has the third-highest expected goals percentage (xGF%) at 50.3% and scoring chances percentage (SCF%) at 50.6% and the highest shot share ( 58.6). %), on the ice for 51 shots to 36.
So what’s the problem with him? Why didn’t it work out in Nashville?
What we do know is that the Predators have shopped Fabbro around the league (according to Rick Dhaliwal). And that this management group has targeted Fabbro in the past, and now has the opportunity to pick him up for free. There are ties between the two parties that go beyond recent trading interests, as Fabbro hails from Coquitlam, B.C.
Personally, this author thinks it would be a benefit to post the flyer on Fabbro. While these Canucks’ defense is coming off probably their best performance of the season so far, let’s not forget how much they struggled up front.
The Vincent Desharnais experiment did not really work out as this management group had hoped. His defensive blunders have resulted in goals conceded, putting him in the press for four nights. While Derek Forbort has been solid, especially on the penalty kill, he remains out with an injury and a week-to-week timeline. The only bright spot on this blueline is Erik Brännström, who wasn’t even on this team until right before the season.
But you’re one injury on the blue line away from having to start Noah Juulsen, who they clearly didn’t like enough to give him much credit for the way Desharnais has played. So why not add Fabbro? He’s relatively cheap at $2.5 million with only one year left on his contract. If it doesn’t work out, they won’t be contractually bound to him after this season and can move on if it doesn’t work out.
Adding a player like Fabbro, who when in the lineup plays against top pairing matchups, could allow the team to break up this Carson Soucy-Tyler Myers pairing that has been the Achilles heel for this Canucks blue line. What was a duo that was trusted to knock out Connor McDavid in the playoffs last season has fallen off a cliff both statistically and analytically. Both players are rated minus five and allow well below 50% in SCF% and HDCF%, meaning the Canucks are not producing offensively with this duo on this ice, and are often caught in their own zone . a lot, which leads to a lot of scoring chances against – especially in the middle areas, in front of the net, etc.
This is a move that wouldn’t make much sense given the way this management group has operated this season, trying to build up the highest amount of cap space possible in preparation for the trade deadline. However, there comes a point where you may have to throw that out the window to help your team succeed. Adding Fabbro would do just that: bring in a puck-moving, right-shot defenseman who can play a top-four role for free, something this author thinks the Canucks should take advantage of.
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