Fabbri Would’ve Played Had Red Wings Made Playoffs

“Just a quick clean up,” Fabbri said of the surgery he underwent last month. “It’s nothing like I dealt with before.”

The Detroit forward isn’t concerned at all about being ready to play in time for training camp next fall.

“For sure, ready for Day 1 in camp,” Fabbri said. “This is a little quicker rehab for sure.

“I’m back training right now. We’re just slowly ramping everything up. Obviously, there’s no rush in the rehab process right now with having the summer here but we’re slowly ramping it up in the gym, doing everything – upper body, lower body, biking – and the knee’s feeling good, so we’re in a good spot.”

The surgical procedure was done to clean up a minor issue with Fabbri’s meniscus in his right knee. He underwent surgery on that knee late last season and didn’t return to playing with the Red Wings until Jan. 4 of this season. Twice previously, he underwent major surgeries on his left knee.

Red Wings Fabbri Injured In Game Against Blackhawks

A hit by Chicago’s Tyler Johnson in a March 8 game caused inflammation in Fabbri’s right knee. The decision was made to shut him down for the season and ultimately, undergo the surgical procedure.

However, had Detroit been maintaining a playoff position, indications from Fabbri are than an entirely different process would have been unfolding. He’s certain that he would’ve played in the playoffs had the Red Wings been postseason qualifiers.

“It would have been a decision with the team whether to do the procedure right away and be ready in about 3-4 weeks or to rehab it and get back to playing without the procedure and just a matter of where we were at, the schedule, the timing, where we were at in the standings,” Fabbri said. “All that would have come into play.

“I can definitely tell you if playoffs were starting this week, I’d be playing one way or another.”