While the Vancouver Canucks’ bottom four looked better during their California road trip, those weren’t exactly top-tier opponents. This blue line has struggled, and there’s a reason GM Patrik Allvin is reportedly snooping around for some puck-moving help, preferably on the right side.

Well, they might not need to give up any assets to acquire one, as the Nashville Predators placed defenceman Dante Fabbro on waivers.

Fabbro has shown flashes of being a valuable defenceman in this league. During the first three years in Nashville as a prominent starter, Fabbro averaged over 19 minutes each season. While he was used a lot, he found his offensive game in 2021-22 as he doubled his previous high point total with three goals for 24 points with a plus-13 rating in 66 games played.

However, since that season, Fabbro has seen his role on this team diminish, averaging 15:38 minutes of ice time through the previous three seasons. But he’s setting career lows this season as Fabbro struggles to consistently stay in the lineup, suiting up in six of the Predators’ 14 games this season. The right-shot defenceman has yet to find the scoresheet this season, with a minus-three rating and only seven shots on goal in 13:06 minutes of average ice time – the lowest since his rookie year.

But what’s most confusing is when he gets into the lineup, Fabbro often plays on the top pairing with captain Roman Josi, who averages over 25 minutes per game. How does one player go from top-pairing matchups to a healthy scratch?

It’s not like his analytics are poor, either. Of the seven defencemen to play for the Predators this season, Fabbro has the third-highest expected goals for percentage (xGF%) at 50.3% and scoring chances for percentage (SCF%) at 50.6% and the single-highest shot share (58.6%), being on the ice for 51 shots to 36.

So what’s the problem with him? Why hasn’t it worked out in Nashville?

What we do know is that the Predators have been shopping Fabbro around the league (per Rick Dhaliwal). And that this management group has targeted Fabbro in the past, and now they have the opportunity to pick him up for free. There are links between the two sides that go beyond just the recent trade interest, as Fabbro is from Coquitlam, B.C.

Personally, this author thinks taking the flyer on Fabbro would be a benefit. While this Canucks’ defence is probably coming off their best outing to this point of the season, let’s not forget how much they struggled beforehand.

The Vincent Desharnais experiment hasn’t really worked out as this management group had hoped. His defensive blunders have resulted in goals against, earning himself four nights up in the press box. While Derek Forbort has been solid, especially on the penalty kill, he remains out with an injury and a week-to-week timeline. The lone bright spot on this blueline has been Erik Brännström, who wasn’t even on this team until right before the season.

But you’re one more injury on the blue line away from needing to start Noah Juulsen, who they clearly haven’t liked enough to give him much run with how Desharnais has been playing. So why not add Fabbro? He’s relatively cheap at $2.5 million, with just one year remaining on his deal. If it doesn’t work out, they aren’t contractually tied to him past this season and can move on if it doesn’t work out.

Adding a player like Fabbro, who, when he’s in the lineup, plays against top-pairing matchups, would allow the team to split up this Carson Soucy – Tyler Myers pairing that has been the Achilles heel for this Canucks blue line. In what was a pairing that was trusted to shut down the likes of Connor McDavid in the playoffs last season has fallen off a cliff, both statistically and analytically. Both players sit with a minus-five rating and allow far below the 50% mark in SCF% and HDCF%, meaning the Canucks aren’t producing offensively with this pairing on this ice, and they’re often caught in their own zone a lot, leading to a ton of scoring chances against – especially in the middle areas, in front of the net, etc.

Now, this is a move that wouldn’t make too much sense for how this management group has been operating this season, trying to accrue the highest amount of cap space they can in preparation for the trade deadline. However, there comes a point where you might need to throw that out the window to help your team succeed. Adding Fabbro would do just that, bringing in a puck-moving, right-shot defenceman, who can play a top-four role for free is something this author thinks the Canucks should take advantage of.

What do you think, Canucks fans? Would you like to see the Canucks claim Predators defenceman Dante Fabbro? Let us know in the comment section below!