Dante Fabbro to remain in Penticton for 2015-16 season

In a press release posted on the Penticton Vees’ website, it was announced that former T-Birds first-round draft pick Dante Fabbro will be returning to Penticton for the 2015-16 season, when he will be 17 years old.

Drafted eighth overall in 2013, the young defenseman took the BCHL by storm with 33 points in 44 regular-season games and added 15 points in 21 postseason contests. Projected as a first-round NHL draft pick in 2016, Fabbro has been mulling over his options, including joining the T-Birds and foregoing his NCAA eligibility, for the past couple of years.

While it’s possible Fabbro could still change his mind – and he’d almost certainly be welcomed in Seattle with open arms – his loss is a tough pill to swallow. As a 15-year-old at training camp, Fabbro was excellent and appeared ready to play in the WHL before he would have even been eligible. With Shea Theodore departing for the professional ranks this summer, the addition of Fabbro would have helped offset some the offensive production lost with Theodore’s graduation.

However, all is not lost as Seattle has been preparing for a future without Fabbro for some time now. The T-Birds have a healthy mix of veteran and young defensemen, including Sahvan Khaira, a 17-year-old who was taken in the same draft as Fabbro, and Jarret Tyszka, their first-round pick in 2014, who recently committed to joining the team. Both are expected to receive strong workloads this season, and the other four spots in the top six look like they will be occupied by Jerret Smith, Jared Hauf, Ethan Bear, and Turner Ottenbreit.

Ryan Gropp joined the T-Birds after playing just 10 games in his second BCHL season with Penticton, so Fabbro making the same adjustment to his future plans is not out of the question. However, Seattle, which is hoping to make a statement in the U.S. Division this year with a number of players ready to step up, won’t be paralyzed by Fabbro’s announcement.