It was another good move by Detroit Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman who pulled off another deal quietly, and yet with some flair, too. Fabbri’s deal was in the vein of what Yzerman did with Tyler Bertuzzi, Filip Hronek and Anthony Mantha: reasonable term and price that makes sense for both sides.
It also signals that Fabbri is considered another piece of the “Yzerplan” and will be counted upon to keep moving the Red Wings in the right direction.
Red Wings Continue to Put Pieces Together
Like it was with trades or some free agent signings already, some things will work out and some will not. But not every contract extension will go the way of an Anthony Mantha like trade. Some players will in fact stay in Detroit and see the end of their contract. Some may even re-sign again while others will move on.
Even with the Fabbri signing, there are still a number of spots that will be filled. But for now, adding Fabbri to it keeps him, Tyler Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin, Pius Suter, Michael Rasmussen, Givani Smith and Adam Erne with the team for at least another season. Lucas Raymond is on his entry level deal as well.
Help is on the way from Grand Rapids. Prospects are popping overseas as well and free agency, and most certainly trades will be explored to continue to fill around the core. But even with that outlook, Yzerman has tidied up what was a tumultuous cap situation upon his hiring, and has wisely spent while saving gobs of space for the future.
Yzerman’s Moves Continue Patiently
There were a couple articles written on the Red Wings moves and where they go from here. First, Winging it Motown’s Jake Rivard wrote about three routes the Red Wings can go while the Athletic’s Max Bultman and Harman Dayal analyzed how the Red Wings avoid a Vancouver-like rebuild purgatory. Both are great reads, and both hit on critical questions as Detroit takes the next step away from bottom and more toward the playoffs.
The one consistency Yzerman has shown has been his patience. There’s no telegraphing of moves. He doesn’t tip his hand. He’s methodical, careful, patient. Fabbri’s signing was another example Monday–something that could have waited until later but it was handled before the page could turn to 2022. Yzerman values his contribution, and now we’ll see what happens next.
Robby Fabbri is in Covid Protocol now and it will be interesting to see how the Red Wings respond should he be out for some time. But one thing is for sure: Fabbri is in the fold for another three years and the Yzerplan continues to get clearer.