NHL Rumors: Predators Have Tough Choice Between Young Defencemen

The Nashville Predators are looking to change their roster around, starting with moving some money out from at least one of their larger and lengthier contracts. Mattias Ekholm has been made available, but there have also been discussions about Ryan McDonagh. Neither are who the Predators may have to make a tough choice between. The Predators may need to choose between Alexandre Carrier and Dante Fabbro, per Alex Daugherty.

Carrier and Fabbro both had much better seasons in 2021-22 and the defence as a whole has struggled to do what the Predators are used to.

Carrier had an impressive rookie season where he scored three goals and 30 points, was a plus-26, and logged 21 minutes per game. He also blocked 124 shots and delivered 95 hits. It was a great integration into the NHL in a full-time role for the 25-year-old who was drafted in the fourth round in 2015. He has just five points in 31 games and is playing over two fewer minutes than he did last season.

As for Fabbro, he has been in trade rumours earlier this season as he has now been a healthy scratch on multiple occasions. He has fallen off further than Carrier and is playing 2.5 fewer minutes per game than he has the past three seasons.

The addition of McDonagh has appeared to have messed up what the Predators had last season. Instead of further upgrading their forwards, they focused on defence and have forced Carrier and Fabbro into lesser roles. If the team holds onto both for the time being and trades Ekholm or McDonagh, things could turn around for one of both of them.