The Columbus Blue Jackets have claimed defenseman Dante Fabbro off waivers from the Nashville Predators, club President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell announced today. Columbus also placed forward Kent Johnson on Injured Reserve retroactive to October 17.
Fabbro, 26, registered 16 goals and 56 assists for 72 points with 159 penalty minutes, 417 shots on goal and a cumulative +6 plus/minus rating, while averaging 18:00 of ice time in 315 career games with the Predators since making his NHL debut during the 2018-19 season. He was originally selected by Nashville in the first round, 17th overall, at the 2016 NHL Draft.
“Dante Fabbro is a puck-moving defenseman that can play in all situations and adds mobility and depth to our backend,” said Waddell.
A native of Coquitlam, British Columbia, Fabbro recorded seven shots on goal in six appearances with the Predators this season. He set career highs in assists, points and plus/minus rating in 2021-22, finishing with 3-21-24 and a +13 plus/minus rating in 66 outings. He then set career highs in penalty minutes and games played the following season, recording 2-9-11 with 50 PIM in 79 contests.
The 6-0, 189-pound blueliner played three seasons at Boston University from 2016-19 and collected 22-58-80 and 77 PIM in 112 career games. He has also represented Canada at several international tournaments, including the 2019 IIHF World Championships (silver medal) as well as the 2017 (silver) and 2018 (gold) IIHF World Junior Championships.
Johnson, 22, who has missed the last nine games with an upper body injury suffered in a 6-4 win over Buffalo on October 17, has recorded 2-3-5 and eight shots on goal in four contests in 2024-25. The 6-0, 180-pound native of Port Moody, British Columbia has recorded 24-40-64, 28 PIM and 201 shots on goal, while averaging 14:08 of ice time in 134 career appearances with the Blue Jackets since making his NHL debut at the end of the 2021-22 campaign. He was selected by Columbus in the first round, fifth overall, at the 2021 NHL Draft.
Columbus returns to action tonight when the club visits the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. Game time is 8 p.m. ET. Live coverage on FanDuel Sports Network begins with the Blue Jackets Live pre-game show starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will also be heard on the Blue Jackets Radio Network, including Sports Radio 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, and online at BlueJackets.com.
