Predators place Dante Fabbro on waivers

A former first-round pick could be heading to the minors.

On Saturday, the Nashville Predators placed defenseman Dante Fabbro on waivers.

If Fabbro were to clear on Sunday, he could be assigned to the Predators’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

The 26-year-old appeared in six of Nashville’s first eight games of the season but hasn’t been in the lineup since Oct. 28 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Fabbro averaged a little over 13 minutes per game, registering seven shots on goal and a plus/minus of -3.

Fabbro has been a part of the Nashville organization since the team took him in the first round, 17th overall, of the 2016 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut near the end of the 2018-19 season and became a mainstay on the team’s blue line for the better part of four years. However, in 2023-24, Fabbro was a healthy scratch for long stretches of the season, limiting him to just 56 games. He only played three of the Predators’ six games during the first round of last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks.

Yet, the Coquitlam, British Columbia native signed a one-year contract with a $2.5 million cap hit–the same AAV he had in his one-year deal that carried through the 2023-24 campaign.

Fabbro had a lot of hype around him as a first-round pick, as many believed the Boston University product had the potential to be a top-four defender for years to come. Unfortunately, outside of a couple of good seasons, he hasn’t been able to meet those expectations over his six seasons in the NHL.

Fabbro has played in 315 games, scoring 16 goals and 56 assists for 72 points, with a career +6 rating. He also has one assist in 17 postseason appearances.

The Predators (4-9-1) have the fewest points (9) and worst winning percentage (.321) in the NHL. They are set to host the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday night.