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Predators acquire Mike Fisher from Senators in exchange for first rounder, conditional pick

Mike Fisher, Daniel Alfredsson

Ottawa Senators’ Daniel Alfredsson, right, of Sweden, celebrates his goal with teammate Mike Fisher (12) during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Oct. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

AP

There are gossip writers - probably one interested in country music - who would provide a different reason for the Nashville Predators acquiring Mike Fisher.

Yet beyond appeasing Carrie Underwood, there are actual hockey reasons that explain why the Predators traded their 2011 first round pick and a conditional 2012 pick to the Ottawa Senators for Fisher.

TSN explains that conditional pick this way: the Senators receive a third round pick if Nashville wins one round in the playoffs or a second rounder if they win two or more rounds. That’s pretty steep, but considering the fact that the Predators have never won a single playoff series in their franchise history, it might be worth it.

Actually, the trade makes plenty of sense for both sides.

Fisher provides the Predators with at least a piece of what they lost when should-be top (or second line) center Matthew Lombardi went down with concussion problems. Fisher seems like he should transition smoothly into the Predators fold as a strong defensive forward with some offensive ability. The only drawback is that he came at a price of top picks and a considerable “real” price tag: Fisher brings a $4.2 million annual cap hit through the 2012-13 season.

The Senators get to save some cash and kick-start their (obviously needed) rebuilding process. Getting a first round pick in 2011 and possibly a second or third rounder in 2012 is a heck of find for Fisher, a forward far more useful to a contender than a pretender.

The last time the Predators traded futures for a pivotal center, it was a failed experiment with Peter Forsberg. Yet Fisher is only 30-years-old and is a more seamless match for the team’s defense-first mentality.

If it’s possible for both teams to “win” a trade, this could very well be an example of such a scenario.