NHL analyst opines Edmonton Oilers' rumored interest in Dante Fabbro "makes zero sense"

By ARJUN B

Modified Aug 30, 2024 04:01 GMT

A rumor has emerged that the Edmonton Oilers may be interested in acquiring defenseman Dante Fabbro from the Nashville Predators in exchange for young defensive prospect Max Wanner.

This proposed deal was met with skepticism from NHL analyst Jason Gregory, who firmly believes there is no chance for the trade.

"This rumour makes zero sense for Edmonton. Fabbro is six feet tall. He isn’t elite offensively and not a tower defensively. From a pure player-for-player trade, I see little reason why Edmonton would entertain this move.” Gregory wrote on oilersnation.com

He noted that Wanner possesses promising physical traits and skating ability that could develop into valuable assets for the Oilers' blue line.

The salary cap implications of acquiring Fabbro make such a trade even less logical for the Oilers. The Oilers have already traded away Cody Ceci's contract to avoid starting the season over the cap.

Bringing in Fabbro's $2.5 million hit would force Edmonton to place Evander Kane on long-term injured reserve right away despite having the space to remain cap compliant with the current roster. This would severely limit roster flexibility that could be crucial during the season.

Given the lack of compelling reasons for Edmonton to make this deal and the multiple red flags it raises, Gregory firmly believes:

"I would be floored if the Oilers made this deal. In fact, I don’t think it has ever been discussed at a serious level within the organization. If it was brought up, it should have been a very short conversation that ended with a “not interested.”

Edmonton Oilers to consider Tony DeAngelo

The Edmonton Oilers are considering signing controversial defenseman Tony DeAngelo, according to hockey insider Frank Seravalli.

Despite past issues, including insensitive social media behavior and heated exchanges with teammates, Seravalli reports that DeAngelo is well-regarded in the locker room.

"All the intel that I have is that he’s a really well-liked teammate. Have there been some skirmishes that have popped up over the course of a career? Did he gain notoriety for his Twitter account?... Some of them are true. Some of them have become legend,” Seravalli said to Oilers Now.

DeAngelo recorded three goals and eight assists in 31 games last season with the Carolina Hurricanes. In 2021-22, he had a career offensive year with 10 goals and 41 assists for 51 points.

The Edmonton Oilers are looking to upgrade their defense and add a puck-moving threat. Seravalli points out that DeAngelo potentially brings them a 50-point producer who is still in his 20s and would likely sign near the league minimum salary.

It remains to be seen if the Edmonton Oilers will actually pursue DeAngelo given his past or if they will explore other options in free agency. But it appears he is at least on their radar for defensive upgrades this offseason.