Dante Fabbro in the waivers: an opportunity for Kent Hughes to improve his blue line

Since the start of the season, the Habs’ performance at the blue line has been very disappointing. The club plays very poorly in its zone, and if it can’t count on a superhuman performance from its goaltender, it often finds itself giving up 4-5 goals a game.

And that’s no recipe for winning games.

As a result, Kent Hughes is looking for reinforcements to bolster his squad. The GM is keeping an eye on the transaction market, but nothing seems imminent.

But this afternoon, the Predators made a big decision: they placed Dante Fabbro, a 26-year-old right-handed defenseman (and former first-round pick), in the waivers.

And it’s a great opportunity for the Canadiens to improve their blue line.

Dante Fabbro (NASH) on waivers

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 9, 2024

We sensed that Fabbro was no longer in Nashville’s good graces. He’s not a first-pair defenseman, but in a supporting role, he’s capable of pulling his weight.

And right now, the Habs need guys like that.

The fact that he’s right-handed makes him extremely interesting for the Habs, who more often than not play with only David Savard as a right-hander in their brigade. Justin Barron is with the big club too, but he’s often on the bridge these days.

Fabbro’s contract expires at the end of the season. His $2.5 million salary is a bit steep, but the Habs can afford to take on such a contract right now. In fact, short-term money really isn’t a problem in Montreal.

In the best-case scenario, he becomes a new Johnathan Kovacevic (which the Canadiens could use this year) and the club can consider giving him a new contract. In the worst-case scenario, however, he could leave the project at the end of the season at the latest.

With David Reinbacher sidelined, Logan Mailloux still struggling in the NHL and Justin Barron not ready to be a regular just yet… it makes sense to take a chance on Fabbro, doesn’t it?

Extension

At the moment, only the Predators and the Sharks have priority over the Canadiens in the waivers.

And since the Preds obviously aren’t going to claim their own player, that means the Habs would simply need the Sharks to turn up their nose at Fabbro for the opportunity to get him by claiming him.