Sep 22, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins forward Robby Fabbri (12) plays the puck and Montreal Canadiens forward Lucas Condotta (82) defends during the first period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Veteran Winger Earning Deal With Penguins

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Sep 27, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The roster that will begin the season for the Pittsburgh Penguins is one of the biggest mysteries in the NHL. Coming into the 2025-2026 regular season, many teams have solidified rosters, but the Penguins have multiple roles up for grabs and spots to claim in the lineup.

Amongst a sea of youngsters vying for spots, veteran forward Robby Fabbri has been an intriguing addition to Penguins training camp. The former first-round pick arrived in Pittsburgh on a professional tryout (PTO), hoping to earn a guaranteed NHL deal for the coming season.

So far, he’s looked like a player ready to contribute at the NHL level. He’s appeared in two preseason games for the Penguins, and it’s clear that new head coach Dan Muse is intrigued. Fabbri skated in over 13 minutes of ice time against the Montreal Canadiens and logged 16:14 in a recent contest against the Detroit Red Wings. In those two games, he has one goal on five shots on goal.

He’s also been a responsible and dependable player in the defensive zone. While he did have one giveaway against the Red Wings, he also blocked two shots and collected two hits to make up for the error. Against the Canadiens, he added an additional three hits.

It’s clear that Fabbri is committed to a two-way style in order to earn another opportunity in the NHL, and it may just pay off. What’s strange, is why Fabbri had to wait this long to get this chance.

The 29-year-old winger has scored 10 or more goals six times in his NHL career. He’s just one year removed from scoring 18 goals and 32 points in 68 contests with the Red Wings.

The big issue in Fabbri’s career has been injuries and durability. He’s never played more than 72 regular season games in a season, and that was his rookie campaign in 2015-2016. He’s dealt with multiple surgeries due to meniscus and ACL injuries. It’s forced him to miss nearly half of the possible regular season games he was eligible to play in. Through 10 seasons in the NHL, the majority of which he spent on NHL rosters, he has just 442 regular season games played.

He’s coming off another rehabilitation process currently. His 2024-2025 campaign was ended prematurely after 44 games due to an upper-body injury. Now healthy, he’s hoping to stay that way. Even more so, he’s hoping to stay that way as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. If he continues performing like he is through the preseason, that possibility will become a reality.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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