When the Nashville Predators dealt P.K. Subban to the New Jersey Devils in June, it freed up the cap space necessary to sign centre Matt Duchene to a seven-year, $56 million deal. It also left a big hole on the right side in Music City.
Enter Dante Fabbro. The 17th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft has big shoes to fill, but if there's one thing that the Preds have been able to do well, it's draft and develop young defensemen to maintain their club's reputation for having one of the better blue-line depths in the NHL. Fabbro had the opportunity to suit up for the Preds in four regular season games and six playoff games in 2019, following the conclusion of his NCAA career.
After Poile's comments, “I probably wouldn't have made this trade if Dante Fabbro hadn't signed with the Predators and hadn't played as well as he did. That gave me good confidence that we still could have a good defence and trade somebody like P.K.”, it's safe to say Poile and the Preds' coaching staff hold the 21-year-old in high regard.
When asked about these comments at the 2019 NHLPA Rookie Showcase, Fabbro had this to say; “Hearing that definitely helped build my confidence, but my mentality throughout the summer was that I don't have a spot and make sure I put my best foot forward and earn everything I get.”
It's hard not to admire that approach and mindset from such a young, skilled player. Whether that translates to a successful rookie season is yet to be determined. One thing is for sure, Fabbro will have every opportunity to prove himself this season.
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