Henri Jokiharju is one of the Boston Bruins' most notable free agents heading into the summer. The right-shot defenseman fit in well with the Bruins after being acquired by the Original Six club at the trade deadline, so they could look to keep him around. However, if the Bruins decide not to re-sign Jokiharju or he walks, they will need to find a replacement for him on the right side of their defense.
If Jokiharju ends up signing elsewhere, the Bruins have a clear target who they should focus on this summer - Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro.
Fabbro, 26, was a great story this season in the NHL. After becoming the odd man out on the Nashville Predators' blueline, he was placed on waivers by the Central Division club in November. From there, he was claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets and proved the Predators made a massive mistake giving up on him.
Fabbro absolutely thrived with the Blue Jackets in a top-pairing role after being claimed off waivers, posting nine goals, 26 points, and a plus-23 rating in 62 games. He also received time on their penalty kill, so he proved to be a very important part of their blueline.
When looking at how well Fabbro played for the Blue Jackets this season, he is somebody the Bruins should make a strong push this off-season. It is no secret that the Bruins' defense could use a boost, and bringing in a blueliner like Fabbro would give them just that. He would be an obvious choice for their second pairing with Hampus Lindholm and could work on their penalty kill as well if needed.
Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see if the Bruins make a push for Fabbro this off-season. They have cap space to work with, and he could be a nice upgrade over Jokiharju.
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