Dante Fabbro may not be a household name but he is quietly sneaking up draft boards and could be an option for the Canadiens.
Dante Fabbro may not have the ideal size of a typical NHL defenceman but his all around skills and production have put scouts on notice.
Due to all of his intangibles, Fabbro has flown up draft boards and some think he could push himself into the top 10. Could the Canadiens be the team that takes a chance on him?
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Draft Rankings/Mock Draft
Sportsnet – 15th
Draft Site – 15th
ISS – 19th
TSN Mock Draft – 17th
Hockey Prospect – 11th
Dante Fabbro’s calling card is the fact he has a very high hockey IQ. That’s not to take anything away from his actual skill set but he sees and reads plays at an elite level.
Speaking of his skills, those aren’t too shabby either. He doesn’t have a particular skill that stands out because he does everything really well. His skating ability is really advanced for a defender his age.
Fabbro has spent the past 2 seasons with the Penicton Vees of the BCHL. One of his teammates, Tyson Jost, is also a draft eligible prospect who is expected to go high in the 1st round.
Fabbro placed 3rd in team scoring this year, finishing with an impressive 67 points(14 G, 53 A) in 45 games. He also suited up for Team Canada at the World Under-18’s where he had 8 assists in 7 games.
Despite having what many call a strong accurate shot, Fabbro hasn’t really utilized it yet. He seems more content in setting plays up and making crisp passes to teammates. There is nothing wrong with that as puck-distributing defenders are very valuable.
What the Scouts Say
Joe Curtis of Elite Prospects offers high praise to the young BC native:
"Dante Fabbro is a dependable two-way defenseman with high offensive upside. He plays with poise and makes mature, high-percentage decisions under pressure. In his own end, he is proactive with both his body and stick, and does everything right to interrupt passing lanes and win back possession. With the puck on his stick, he is mobile at an elite level and can direct plays like a quarterback. He possesses a hard and accurate release on his shot, that he gets off quickly and on-net. All-in-all, a complete defenseman that plays a refined game at both ends of the ice"
Bill Placzek of Draft Site also offers similar praise:
"An average framed prospect with a terrific all-around game. His bread and butter is strong feet and four-direction mobility coupled with high hockey IQ puck skills. Slick defender whose PP QB skills are excellent. Very creative with the puck on the attack and a very strong skater who can spin off pressure. Has great vision and can thread the needle on the long home run break-outs. His feet and puck skills help him break up passes, and be an excellent penalty killer. Very confident and fluid in all three zones."
Potential Fit With Canadiens
Fabbro would easily leapfrog last year’s 1st round pick Noah Juulsen as the Canadiens top defensive prospect. This is not a knock on Juulsen, it is more of a testament to just how good Fabbro is.
Players like Fabbro are hard to come by. His IQ sets him apart from his peers and makes him a very interesting option for the Canadiens.
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Saying that, he may not have much value as the 9th pick. He consistently ranks as the 4th or 5th best defensive prospect in this draft. While some may view him as a potential top 10 pick, I view him more in the 12-15 range.
Assuming the Canadiens stay at 9th and both Jakub Chychrun and Mikhail Sergachev are off the board, Fabbro could be an option. However, if both Chychrun and/or Sergachev are there, I believe you have to go with one of them over Fabbro.
Even if the top 3 defensive prospects are gone by the 9th pick, it means one of the top forwards has fallen. In that scenario, I just don’t see how the Canadiens could justify drafting Fabbro ahead of a player like Alexander Nylander or even Logan Brown.
The ideal scenario for the Canadiens to draft Fabbro would be in a trade down. This would allow the Canadiens to gain an extra asset while getting Fabbro at a lower spot.