THUNDERBIRDS

Fabbro decision to shake up T-Birds’ offseason plans

May 30, 2014, 11:55 AM | Updated: Jul 15, 2014, 4:42 pm

hockey 614

Dante Fabbro’s decision to play in the BCHL could influence Adam Henry’s future in Seattle. (Thunderbirds photo)

The Seattle Thunderbirds received some disappointing news earlier this week when highly-touted defensive prospect Dante Fabbro elected to retain his college eligibility, at least for the time being, by committing to the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League.

While Fabbro’s decision is by no means permanent – Ryan Gropp left the Vees early last season to join Seattle – the Thunderbirds now have to move forward, at least for this season, with the expectation that he won’t be a part of the roster.

Fabbro, selected eighth overall in last year’s WHL Bantam Draft, is an elite offensive defenseman, made evident by the fact that he led all British Columbia Major Midget League blueliners in scoring last season, when he had 61 points in 38 games, including 22 goals. When he was drafted, it appeared that Fabbro was the heir apparent to Shea Theodore as the team’s top powerplay quarterback.

Prior to last season, Fabbro attended training camp with the T-Birds. At just 15 years old, his skating was already comparable to players much older than him and he never seemed uncomfortable despite playing with players who already had years of WHL experience.

With Fabbro out of the picture, the T-Birds’ defensive corps will surely look different than expected. Theodore, Jerret Smith, Jared Hauf, Ethan Bear, and Kevin Wolf will all be 19 years old or younger and remain on the roster. Fabbro, HockeyNow’s 2013 Minor Hockey Player of the Year, was expected to jump in as a 16-year-old and, with his impressive skill set, face only a short adjustment period.

There are a number of ways the team could move forward. They could start by keeping either Adam Henry or Evan Wardley, both of whom will be playing their final WHL season. Henry, who had 38 points in 64 games last season, is more offensively gifted than Wardley, but Wardley is a bigger physical presence.

It’s also possible that Fabbro could be replaced by someone else in the T-Birds’ system – perhaps 17-year-old Luke Osterman or 16-year-old Sahvan Khaira, who were both impressive in training camp last season. Or it could end up being a combination of both of the above options, should the team decide that Wolf isn’t ready for a full-time role, or if they decide to trade one of their veteran defensemen for some scoring punch up front.

The ripple effect could also influence the team up front as well. Not only will they be losing the offensive contribution they were sure to get from Fabbro on the back end, but if the team does decide to keep either Henry or Wardley, it will lock up one of the 20-year-old spots that could have been used on a veteran forward. For a team that’s sure to lose at least three of its top four scoring forwards, the potential absence of that veteran spot looms large.

Fortunately for the Thunderbirds, they have a deep defensive group that returns experience and likely wouldn’t have counted on Fabbro to play a huge role this season anyway. They spent their first-round draft choice earlier this month on Jarret Tyszka, a 6-feet-1 defenseman from Langley, B.C. who projects as a two-way defender and will have a chance to make the roster next season.

Seattle general manager Russ Farwell is sure to continue pursuing Fabbro with the hope of convincing him to change his mind in the same way Gropp did early year. Mathew Barzal, who played with Fabbro growing up and remains a close friend, is also sure to continue recruiting him.

Fabbro has the talent to eventually be a first-round NHL draft choice and would undoubtedly be a great addition to the Thunderbirds roster, but his absence, at least this season, won’t doom them in the future. The 2014-15 T-Birds should still feature multiple 2013 draft selections, including fellow first-rounder Kaden Elder and second-rounder Nolan Volcan, who both have bright futures of their own.

Follow Tim on Twitter @tpigulski

Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds GM Bil La Forge has some moves to make this offseason. (Brian Liesse/T-Birds photo)...

Andy Eide

Thunderbirds GM Bil La Forge dishes on the upcoming offseason

Thunderbirds general manager Bil La Forge will make some moves this summer to improve his club. Will they be big ones?

3 years ago

Seattle’s Keltie Jeri-Leon celebrates his final WHL goal Sunday against Spokane. (Brian Liess...

Andy Eide

Thunderbirds end strange and hard season on a high note with dominating win over Spokane

The Seattle Thunderbirds dealt with a lot of adversity this season but end on a high note.

3 years ago

Keltie Jeri-Leon plays his final WHL game for the Thunderbirds Sunday night. (Brian Liesse)...

Andy Eide

Keltie Jeri-Leon set to play his final WHL game as Thunderbirds face Spokane Sunday

After five seasons, Seattle's lone over-aged player, Keltie Jeri-Leon will play his final junior game Sunday night.

3 years ago

Seattle rookie Scott Ratzlaff won his first WHL game in his first start. (Judy Simpson/TC Americans...

Andy Eide

Scott Ratzlaff earns first WHL win as Thunderbirds beat Tri-City

Behind a rookie goalie, the Thunderbirds kicked off the season's final weekend with a 5-2 win in Kennewick against the Tri-City Americans.

3 years ago

The Seattle Thunderbirds celebrate after snapping a six-game losing streak Sunday night. (Brian Lie...

Andy Eide

Thunderbirds enjoy winning again after snapping six-game losing streak

The Seattle Thunderbirds have been scuffling but battled against a good Portland Winterhawks club to snap a six-game losing streak.

3 years ago

Thunderbirds forward Reid Schaefer fights for position Sunday in Portland. (Megan Connelly/Winterha...

Andy Eide

Dealing with adversity, young Thunderbirds drop pair of games in Portland

Injuries and penalties have thrown a ton of adversity at the young Thunderbirds which showed up in a pair of losses at Portland this weekend.

3 years ago

Fabbro decision to shake up T-Birds’ offseason plans