Ducks' Robby Fabbri Expected To Sign Elsewhere in Free Agency

Robby Fabbri has not had great luck with injuries in his time in the NHL, but he is still a skilled player that can make a difference in a lineup. Whether or not injuries have caught up to him yet remains to be seen, but it's a little hard to judge him off of his play with the Anaheim Ducks this season as they are going through a rebuild.

The Ducks have done better than expected and started to turn things around, but Fabbri just didn't fit in there and is a UFA this summer. I expect him to sign somewhere else, but for much less than $4 million AAV. Teams aren't going to want to take on much unexpected cap hits unless they are a rebuilder needing money towards the cap.

Fabbri has eight goals and 16 points in 44 games this season, but is a sliver under a 0.5 point-per-game player in the NHL, which is respectable. His highest output in goals for a season is 18, done in his rookie season and last season with the Detroit Red Wings in 68 games.

The most games Fabbri has played in a season has been 72 and he has missed 99 games over the past three seasons. He should be seen as a player capable of playing third line minutes and on the second power play. Injuries have definitely held him back from reaching his full potential, but a capable and useful player is still there.

A team signing Fabbri would probably have to shell out $2 million AAV max and it would likely be a one-year deal at this point. I would expect him to play around 50-60 games and put up anywhere between 12-15 goals and 25-30 points. At worst, he could be another body to help a team get through the season. Sometimes injury-prone players finally stay healthy and really contribute. Who says it can't happen for Fabbri in his prime years?