Red Wings Trade Fabbri, Opening Up Cap Space For Tarasenko

The Detroit Red Wings traded forward Robby Fabbri and a conditional fourth round pick to the Anaheim Ducks for goalie Gage Alexander in a move made to clear a path for acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko.

GM Steve Yzerman cleared an additional $4 million in cap space by moving Fabbri. He needed that cap room to afford to give Tarasenko an average $4.75 million on a two-year deal.

Yzerman now has just over $20 million left, which he hopes is enough to cover restricted free agents Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Joe Veleno and Jonatan Berggren.

The Red Wings gave up a forward who tied his career-best with 18 goals last season. Coaches like Fabbri because he brings energy to every game. If the roster had stayed where it was Wednesday morning, Fabbri could have ended up playing in Detroit’s top six.

Instead,  Tarasenko (23 goals last season between Ottawa and Florida) will play on one of Detroit’s top two lines.

The Ducks will receive the earlier pick between Detroit’s own fourth-round pick in 2025 or Boston’s fourth-round pick in 2025 (previously acquired by Detroit March 2, 2023).

Alexander is a 6-foot-6 prospect goalie, drafted by Anaheim in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. He played 19 games last season for the Tulsa Oilers in the AHL and posted a 3.76 goals-against average.

Fabbri, 28, helped St. Louis win a Stanley Cup championship in 2019, appearing in 10 playoff games while netting one goal. The 6-1, 185-pound forward has scored 98-102=200 points in 398 career NHL games with Detroit (2019-24) and St. Louis (2015-19). He has also appeared in 30 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, scoring 5-11-16 points.

Fabbri can play wing or center.