The Nashville Predators made bold moves this off-season, potentially pushing one veteran blueliner to the fringe of the team's blueprint for success.
Dante FabbroThe Nashville Predators are next up in the NHL Hot Seat Radar series.
We’re picking a player, coach or management member we see as on the 'hot seat' – namely, someone facing massive pressure to produce in a big way or face ramifications. We're also pointing out a person on the 'cold seat' as someone extremely secure in their relationship with their team.
Predators’ Hot Seat: Dante Fabbro, D
The 26-year-old Fabbro faces pressure to remain in the Predators' lineup full-time.
Despite being a valued right-shot blueliner who played more than 600 minutes last season with captain Roman Josi per moneypuck.com, Fabbro was a healthy scratch at times. In the playoffs, he was a scratch in the team's first three games before replacing the injured Spencer Stastney in the lineup for the final three.
Fabbro is entering the final season of a contract that carries a $2.5-million salary. Preds GM Barry Trotz could trade him, but Fabbro should get another shot to prove he belongs in the Predators’ long-term plans as Josi's defense partner. That is unless the left-handed Josi moves to the right side as he has before to play alongside newly signed Brady Skjei.
Stastney was awarded a two-year contract in arbitration on Wednesday, with the first year being a two-way deal, meaning he gets $825,000 in the NHL and $400,000 in the AHL. While he's a left shot, he could also compete with Fabbro for NHL time if Josi and Skjei click.
Fabbro posted a career-best 21 assists and 24 points in 66 games in 2021-22, but in the past two seasons, those numbers have dropped by about half. He’s never going to be a star, but if Fabbro can show he’s still got value, Trotz may be able to find him a new home at some point in the regular season. Fabbro could benefit from a fresh start, as there are now more than enough D-men to go around in Nashville.
Predators’ Cold Seat: Roman Josi, D
Once again, Josi was stellar for the Preds this past season, to say the least. He earned his third Norris Trophy nomination after generating 23 goals – tying his career high – and 85 points in 82 games. The 34-year-old remains Nashville’s top-paid player at $9.05 million per season, and nobody sees him as overpaid.
The presence of newcomer Skjei may boost Josi’s offensive totals this coming season, and at the same time, it may take much of the pressure off Josi to carry a heavy load on Nashville’s back end.
In any case, there’s been no drop-off in production for the Swiss star, and Josi will be prominent in any success the Predators have this season. He’s one of the best in the world at what he does, he’s not slowing down anytime soon, and there’s no circumstance in which he’d be traded. Josi is a Preds lifer and an icon in hockey’s top league.
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