Insider: Dante Fabbro Among Predators' Trade Candidates

Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz has been clear this week about his intention to make a trade to shore up the forward corps, specifically looking for a center, as the team has gotten off to a dismal 1-5-0 start to the season despite some splashy offseason acquisitions.

One name to emerge now as a trade candidate is defenseman Dante Fabbro. Insider Darren Dreger explains on TSN's Insider Trading:

Look at his blue line in Nashville. Some are wondering if Dante Fabbro is available, he's been available before. He is a young-ish defenseman, 26, he's a right-shot, (which is) always coveted. But he seems to be a misfit there. Some night he's with (Roman) Josi, some nights he's in the press box.

Fabbro, indeed, has only suited up for four of the Predators' six games this year, and has zero points in 13:29 ice time per night.

He's a former first-rounder (17th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft), and he had some decent years earlier in his career, being relied on for over 19 minutes a game in his first three full seasons. But he's been fading in each of the last couple of years, and now, after signing a one-year, $2.5 million deal as a restricted free agent this past summer, is set to be a UFA after the current campaign.

He's affordable, as Dreger notes, and perhaps there's a team that would have interest in taking a chance that a fresh start in a new environment would turn things around for the 26-year-old.

The Predators were hoping for much better results this season after signing the likes of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei this past summer in free agency.