Predators Defenseman Likely on the Move

The Nashville Predators are desperate for wins and their GM won't be patient for long.

Apr 15, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro (57) skates with puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Nashville Predators seemingly won the offseason with a number of huge free agent signings, but they haven’t done much winning since. With a 4-9-1 record through 14 games, Predators general manager Barry Trotz has already threatened a rebuild. It would be an extreme move to jump straight to a rebuilding phase after the offseason they had, but there are clearly higher expectations.

In reality, Trotz was likely just trying to give his players a wake-up call since the Predators are capable of so much more. That doesn’t mean he’s going to sit on his hands while the losses continue to pile up.

The Predators season appeared to be on the line against the Florida Panthers following Trotz's comments, and they took a bad 6-2 loss.

According to a source at Responsible Gambler, there is one name in particular that continues to come up in trade talks. Predators defenseman Donte Fabbro might be on the chopping block.

"Fabbro's name continues to be brought up in trade circles," a source said to rg.org. “The kid would blossom with a fresh start and change of scenery.”

Fabbro has been a consistent face in the Predators lineup for the last five seasons with 315 career games played in Nashville. With 72 points (16G-56A) in that time, he’s been a solid middle-pairing blue liner since the 2019-20 season.

Selected by the Predators in the first round (17th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft, Fabbro is arguably one of the easiest pieces to move on the roster. The 26-year-old has averaged exactly 18 minutes of ice time per game in his career and a new outlook might be perfect as he enters his prime.

Fabbro has played just six games this season and is yet to produce any offense while hitting a minus-three rating and averaging 13:06 of ice per night.

While Trotz is being patient at the moment, an upcoming road trip might make or break his decision-making, and not just with Fabbro.

"The team has a long road trip, two weeks away from Nashville, starting next week through Western Canada.,” the source said. “That road trip will be the tipping point. If the team underperforms on the road trip, the coach will be on hot seat watch."

Head coach Andrew Brunette is in his second season as Predators head coach, but may be feeling the most pressure. The players are locked in with their deals, making change within the roster difficult. Brunette is an easy move if it gets to that point.

The Predators need to either figure themselves out or expect quick changes to certain areas. Trotz didn’t spend that much money on multiple star players to be the worst team in the NHL.

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