The two sure did. Despite the fact Fabbro didn’t join the Blue Jackets until a month into the 2024-25 season, the duo ended up playing more than 1,000 minutes together at 5-on-5, making them one of just seven defensive pairs in the NHL to do so.
Freed up by Fabbro’s steady play on his right side, Werenski went on to become just the ninth NHL defenseman since 1996-97 to top 80 points in a season, rewriting the CBJ record book on the way to finishing second in the Norris Trophy voting. Boosted by Werenski’s offensive skills, Fabbro also had a career year, setting personal bests with nine goals, 26 points and a plus-20 rating.
Which is why it was fitting one of Fabbro’s first messages after signing a four-year extension Sunday to stay with the Blue Jackets was to his defensive partner, who was equal parts excited and inspired by the news.
“He was obviously happy to see me come back,” Fabbro said. “I think the last text was, ‘Let’s take a step next year and continue to build this thing.’ It felt great, and he couldn’t be more right.”
Getting Fabbro’s signature on a contract extension was an important piece of business for the Blue Jackets, who locked up the right-shot defenseman to potentially serve as Werenski's right-hand man for years to come.
Per MoneyPuck.com, in those minutes the two were together on the ice at 5-on-5, the Blue Jackets outscored the opposition by a 52-39 margin, and it was no fluke, as the analytics said the two had a 54.4-percent expected goals share as a duo.
Their performance was a big reason the Blue Jackets jumped 23 points in the standings and came within one victory of a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and with a talented young forward core coming into its own a season ago, Fabbro said he entered this offseason wanting to remain part of what he considers a team on the rise.
With a paucity of top-end defensemen available in free agency, Fabbro acknowledged he could have tested the market, but being part of building a winning team in Columbus meant more to him than anything else.
“Ultimately, my No. 1 goal was to stay with Columbus and to re-sign with Columbus,” he said. “We came to an agreement, and I thought it was really fair, so that’s why I took it. There was no sense for me to go into free agency to maybe test the market to chase a little bit more money. I felt with this number and the term, I thought it was perfect for me. I get to come back to a great team, a great organization and be part of something special.”
As Fabbro noted, he found a home both on and off the ice with the Blue Jackets, as it took him little time to fit into the locker room upon arrival. A first-round draft pick of Nashville in 2016, he had been a consistent part of the Predators’ defensive corps from for five seasons, averaging 61 games from 2020-24.
But as Nashville got off to a slow start this year, Fabbro was the odd man out, playing just six of the team’s first 15 games before being placed on waivers. Columbus didn’t just put a claim in on Fabbro, the Blue Jackets placed him on the top defensive pair to start, and things took off from there.
“I wanted to prove a point and show people I do belong here, and fortunately enough I had a great year and was able to have a career year,” Fabbro said. “Obviously, it’s a big credit to our team and the way we play, and it’s just a fun style to play. I think we have a good mix of everything with our goalies to our D corps to our forwards. I think throughout the lineup, everyone contributes in different ways, and we’re a team, which is the most important part of it.”
With one year under his belt in Columbus, Fabbro wants to keep going. Not satisfied with just one good season with the Blue Jackets, the 27-year-old defenseman hopes to show that last season wasn’t an outlier while leading Columbus to big things.
“My mentality isn’t changing,” Fabbro said. “I want to go in there and put my best foot forward and try to have a better year than I did last year. To get into the playoffs and try to make a run is the end goal here, and obviously to win a Stanley Cup. I really do think we have a lot of great pieces on our team, and we’re only going to be better for it.”
When last year started, Fabbro likely could have never imagined how things would develop for him in the coming months But after spending most of one season with Columbus, he was ready to sign a long-term deal, largely because he feels he’s found a home in the capital city.
“I’ve told people this lots of times,” he said of joining the Blue Jackets. “It was probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
