There had been some debate about whether Mike Fisher did or
did not have a no-movement clause in his contract, but the Ottawa Sun reported
last week that he had
no control over his next destination if he was traded this season.
Something tells us he's pretty cool with going to Nashville. Nice scenery, easy on the eyes ...
The Nashville Predators traded their first-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft and a conditional pick in the 2012 Draft for Fisher today; the conditional pick is Nashville's third-round selection if the Predators win one round in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and turns into a second-rounder in 2012 if the team wins two-or-more rounds.
Considering they've been a first-round bye for the Western Conference since their inception ... well, what happens if they don't?
Said Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile in a release:
"We were seeking a top-six forward and Mike Fisher was the player we set our sights on," Poile said. "He plays playoff-style hockey all season long. He plays on the power play, kills penalties, is strong on draws and can match up against any opposing line."
"Mike's playoff experience will be invaluable to our team and he immediately makes our team stronger and deeper," Poile said.
Fisher's going to be there for a while. His contract, with a $4.2 million cap hit, runs until 2013.
It's a solid move for the Preds, who could use help at the pivot offensively. Fisher has 14 goals and 10 assists for the Sens this season, but tallied 25 goals last season. Question: Does this move indicate that Matthew Lombardi's lost season is about to be officially over due to his concussion? Answer, in Nashville terms: We reckon' so.
As for the obvious Mike Fisher/Carrie Underwood angle to the story, here's what Fisher said about Nashville in an interview with the Sun last summer:
"When I'm done hockey, she'll still be working. I'm sure she can always work. We'll settle in Nashville. I love it there. I've got lots of friends there now, I love the area. I like a lot of things about it. There's a nice church that we love, that we go to ... that being said, it's a little ways away. I want to obviously play a few years, a bunch of years here yet."
Or not. The rebuild is officially on for the Ottawa Senators; who's next?