Toronto Maple Leafs Left Without a Chance as Top-4 Defenseman is Claimed Off Waivers

It's not every day when you see a Top-4 defenseman placed on waivers, however Dante Fabbro was a victim of such an event as Nashville placed the former first-round pick on waivers.

NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Fabbro was claimed off waivers by Columbus on Saturday, quickly ending any rumors or questions about where he may end up:

Fabbro was having a down year and has seen his minutes slip year by year as GM Barry Trotz has decided that enough is enough and is slowly getting rid of pieces. The Toronto Maple Leafs could have had a chance to add to their elite defense, but missed out by virtue of waiver rules.

It was a good sign for Fabbro as he can get a new start in Columbus, and the Blue Jackets can add a potential stud to their blueline. Sure Fabbro isn't the quickest nor is he the most elite defender but he does all the little things right and is a solid two-way defenseman.

Columbus can certainly use the help of Fabbro, as he can definitely help the team out whilst Erik Gudbranson is out, and will presumably take over either Jake Christiansen or David Jiricek's spot in the lineup.

For his career he has 72 points in 315 games, and while those numbers don't jump out on paper, he does have the potential to add some scoring, having 24 points back in 2021-22 so the capability is there. This season however he only played in 6 games and didn't register a point as the writing was on the wall.

It's unfortunate that Toronto missed out on adding Fabbro to their blossoming defensive corps, but it's a great sign to see that team's haven't given up on Fabbro as he deserves a second chance to show that he belongs in the NHL.