Welcome back to Columbus Blue Jackets News & Rumors. By the time you are done reading this, things may have changed. News may have broken. That’s the nature of the beast in the final countdown leading up to the NHL Draft.
This is the time of year when rumors are flying faster than a clearance sale at your favorite store. Everyone is trying to prepare for what could happen over the next couple of weeks going into free agency.
For now though, we will try to update you on the latest surrounding the Blue Jackets. We start with an update on a player they hope to retain.
Fabbro Latest
It’s no secret that the Blue Jackets want to re-sign defenseman Dante Fabbro. His rise since being claimed off waivers from the Nashville Predators gave Zach Werenski a dependable partner for the season. The results spoke for themselves.
Fabbro said at his exit interview he was interested in returning. GM Don Waddell mentioned Fabbro by name as someone he wants to bring back.
But as we sit here on Thursday afternoon, nothing is done yet. Earlier in the week, an X post from Andy Strickland made the rounds.
Hearing Dman Dante Fabbro and #CBJ have made progress on a long term extension.
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) June 16, 2025
This came after the Athletic’s Aaron Portzline indicated that talks were heading in the right direction with more talks set for this week. (From: Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Building a physical, Panthers-like Roster, Aaron Portzline, the Athletic, 6/15/2025). Of course, after seeing Strickland’s report, we had to check into it.
Fabbro’s agent J.P. Barry confirmed to the Hockey Writers that while the two sides were talking, they were only in the initial stages of those talks and that nothing was close. That was on Monday. Things can change quickly.
If nothing else, it at least suggests that a long-term deal is being considered.
The Blue Jackets aren’t going to comment on the particulars of negotiations. It is reasonable to believe that the two sides have some differences to work out given Barry’s comment that they weren’t close yet.
The rising cap does bring an interesting wrinkle into things. How does a team value the player versus what the agent sees? Will teams immediately value the concept of cap percentage even if it means paying a player more than what they think they’re worth?
That will be a question we hope to get answers to down the road. For now, the two sides are…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…