Detroit — Robby Fabbri has been through this before.
This is the third time actually, so he’s been through this rehabilitation thing before.
A long-term rehabilitation.
Incredibly, for the third time returning from major knee surgery, and the work involved and overcoming the physical and mental duress.
But Fabbri is close, skating with the Red Wings, and closing in on what’s been the soft, expected return of right around January 1.
“We’re almost there,” Fabbri said.
Fabbri tore his right ACL on March 10 against Minnesota and had surgery shortly after. Fabbri’s training camp has essentially been the handful of weeks recently, with a big step being involved in full-contact practice the last two weeks.
“It’s been going well,” said Fabbri, who feels jumping into the NHL schedule could be the biggest hurdle. “I just have to do a few more things and I’ll be ready to go. (I’m) just getting up to speed. I’m going to hop in after guys have played 30-40 games and it’ll be my first in about 10 months, so just the timing of it.
“Everything else, I can control, and I feel good about. But, that timing and getting my game legs back, you can’t do anything until you play.”
Wings captain Dylan Larkin has watched closely during Fabbri’s road to returning to the lineup.
“I admire how he’s kept his head up. I know it’s been a long road for him. He’s brought great energy to the locker room.”
Larkin has been through the process himself, and he realizes the schedule for injured players is different from players who are in the lineup and practicing and competing every day.
It can be a lonely, frustrating time for rehabilitating players, and Fabbri knows it too well. But Larkin has seen Fabbri’s dedication to returning to the Wings.
“People don’t really understand when you’re out of the lineup, when you can’t be around the team, it’s really hard on you,” Larkin said. “You don’t really get that feeling that you’re in battle with them. Guys come off the ice and have little things that they’re talking about that happened in the game, and you kind of miss out on all that.
“It’s really difficult. But I can’t speak enough good things about how he’s handled himself and how he’s been there for the guys during this time.”
Fabbri was able to travel on the just-completed four-game road trip through Columbus, Florida and Dallas, which helped Fabbri in a variety of ways.
“That’s the toughest part when you’re injured,” Fabbri siad, of the different schedule than teammates who are playing. “Not being on the same schedule as the guys, not being on the road. Being able to go on the same schedule definitely helps mentally.”
Since arriving from St. Louis in a 2019 trade for Jacob de La Rose, Fabbri has been a consistent offensive player, with 41 goals in 138 games. Fabbri had 17 goals and 30 points in 56 games last season before suffering the torn ACL.
“It’ll be a nice little spark for us, the way he plays the game,” coach Derek Lalonde said.
Despite not having Fabbri, Jakub Vrana (NHL/NHLPA assistance program) and Tyler Bertuzzi for lengthy parts, or all, of the season, the Wings have been able to utilize their depth and remain on the cusp of the playoff chase through a quarter of the season.
Fabbri is eager to get into this determined, and persevering, lineup.
“It’s been exciting to watch and even more exciting I’m going to get in and play with these guys,” Fabbri said. “They’ve done a hell of a job, next man up, from top to bottom up front (forwards). Everyone can play everywhere and that’s what is making us a great team right now.”
Kampfer joins Wings
Defenseman Steven Kampfer was recalled by the Wings on Tuesday, with Robert Hagg being placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 8.
Kampfer, 34, (Jackson/University of Michigan), had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 19 games with Grand Rapids. Kampfer (5-foot-11, 198-pounds) had 30 points in 46 games for Ak Bars Kazan in Russia’s KHL last season.
Kampfer, a four-year player at Michigan, has played in 231 NHL games with Boston, Minnesota, Florida, the New York Rangers and Boston.
Hagg has played 13 games with the Wings, with two assists and a minus-eight plus-minus rating.
Red Wings at Wild
▶ Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn.
▶ TV/radio: TNT/97.1 FM
▶ Outlook: The Wild (15-11-2) have won eight of their last 11 games and moved into third place in the Central Division. The Wings defeated Minnesota, 2-1, in the only other game between the teams this season. LW Kirill Kaprizov is having an outstanding season (17 goals, 35 points) along with RW Mats Zuccarello (20 assists), while G Marc-Andre Fleury continues to roll along (10-7-1, 3.05 GAA, .895 SVS).
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan