This summer, Spencer Lazary and I will continue our series with more potential free agent targets that could be on the market on July 1st.   

Today, we talk about 7-year vet Dante Fabbro.

Target: Dante Fabbro - D- Age: 26 - 7 Years Experience

Fabbro spent the first six-plus years of his career with the Nashville Predators before being put on waivers on Nov. 10, 2024. The Jackets plucked him off the waiver wire and immediately paired him with Norris finalist Zach Werenski, and he performed extremely well. 

Stats

Including his time with Nashville, Fabbro played 68 games, scored 9 goals, and totaled 26 points. He averaged 21:39 time on ice, three minutes more than his career average, and had 3 game-winning goals. He finished with a plus-20 rating, which was second best on the club, and had 82 shots on goal. He has an 82-game average of 21 points for his career. 

Fabbro does have 17 games of playoff experience under his belt as well. 

Previous Salary

Fabbro signed a 1-year, $2,500,000 contract with a cap hit of $2,500,000 per season on  March 8, 2024. Both Fabbro and GM Don Waddell have said publicly that they want to get a deal done to keep Fabbro in Columbus, but at what cost? A few experts have put his next contract at around $3.5-4 million per season for one to two years. 

Realistic Chances Of A Signing - Warm-ish

Although both sides have said they want a deal done to keep Fabbro in Columbus, that doesn't mean Waddell will break the bank for Fabbro. It shouldn't cost a lot to keep him, and I would expect a bridge deal would be the way to go. His partner Zach Werenski even said he would love for him to stay with him for years to come, and that alone should be enough for Waddell and Fabbro's agent to get something done. 

Even though both sides want a deal done, I classify this as warm since nothing is for sure. I really think the Jackets need to sign Fabbro long-term. Now, whether long-term means 4 years or 6, he's shown that he can excel playing with Werenski and under Dean Evason.  

Let us know what you think below.

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