"We suspect that 'Fabs' tore his ACL," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Friday. "We're consulting with another specialist just to get a second opinion, but the expectation is that he'll miss the remainder of the season."
The forward left in the second period of a 6-5 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday.
Fabbri tore the ACL in his left knee while playing for the St. Louis Blues against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 4, 2017. He had surgery and missed the rest of the season, then reinjured the knee in training camp, had another surgery, and missed the 2017-18 season.
He scored six points (two goals, four assists) in 32 games in 2018-19 before returning to form with 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) in 61 games in 2019-20.
"I feel absolutely terrible for him," Blashill said. "Not only has he had to grind through multiple ACL injuries in the past, he's also had to grind through and did an unreal job, I think, of getting himself back to a spot where he played without any fear of injury and played with that relentless nature that he's got to play with to be successful.
"… The good thing is, he knows what it takes, and he knows what it takes to come back, and hopefully [he] comes back better than ever, stronger than ever, more determined than ever. But just from a human perspective, I feel terrible for him."
Fabbri is fifth on the Red Wings with 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists) in 56 games this season.
Detroit acquired Fabbri from St. Louis in a trade for center Jacob De La Rose on Nov. 6, 2019. Fabbri has scored 79 points (41 goals, 38 assists) in 138 games since, third on the Red Wings behind center Dylan Larkin (121) and forward Tyler Bertuzzi (89).
Bertuzzi cannot play the next three games -- at the Calgary Flames on Saturday, at the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday and at the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday -- because he has not been vaccinated for COVID-19 and cannot cross the Canada-United States border.
Forward Taro Hirose has been recalled from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League with Fabbri placed on injured reserve. Hirose leads Grand Rapids with 45 points (14 goals, 31 assists) in 52 games this season.
Forward Jakub Vrana, who has three goals in two games since returning from shoulder surgery, and forwards like Michael Rasmussen, Joe Veleno and Filip Zadina will need to step up offensively.
"I think most players feel like if given more opportunity, they'd excel more," Blashill said. "And that's not always the case, but that's what I think the feeling generally is. And so, that's great. Here is the opportunity."
