With their disappointing season slipping away, the Ottawa Senators are in selling mode.
Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators are looking to solidify their playoff standing in the Western Conference, and thus have become buyers before the trade deadline.
Taking these factors into consideration it should be no surprise that the Sens yesterday shipped veteran forward Mike Fisher to the Preds in exchange for a 2011 first-round draft pick, plus a conditional pick.
From a fantasy hockey perspective the only angle with this trade is whether or not Fisher's value is raised, lowered, or unchanged by his move to Nashville.
We won't know the answer to that question right off the bat, but the guess here is that Fisher's numbers will improve, and, as such, will help fantasy hockey owners on a secondary level.
This year in Ottawa Fisher had just 14 goals (3 on the power play), 10 assists, and 24 points in 55 games. But keep in mind that those stats---while not on par with his career-high 25 goals and 53 points from a year ago---still made Fisher the third-leading scorer on the woeful Senators, with his 14 goals tied for the team lead.
While Fisher needs to be held accountable for his lower production, it must be factored into the equation that he was not receiving much help offensively in Ottawa this season.
Fisher is going to play a similar role---that of a No. 1 or No. 2 center---in Nashville, but his production should improve for several reasons---a change of scenery and a chance to rejoin the playoff race being among the top two.
And don't discount the importance of heading to Nashville where Fisher's wife Carrie Underwood is based. If you are happy at home, then, in theory, that should help translate to being more productive at work.
By no means should fantasy hockey owners rush out to pick up Fisher, but if you are an owner that already has him, you should be rewarded with some increased production.
Have fantasy hockey questions or comments? Contact Jim at jimcerny@gmail.com. And look for his weekly Fantasy Hockey Mailbag, starting next week.