{"id":310372,"date":"2026-05-11T14:46:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T14:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/310372\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T14:46:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T14:46:08","slug":"why-nashville-predators-fans-should-hope-vegas-beats-anaheim-in-the-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/310372\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Nashville Predators fans should hope Vegas beats Anaheim in the playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rooting against the Anaheim Ducks<\/a> comes natural for Nashville Predators<\/a> fans.<\/p>\n

Rivals for well over a decade, Nashville and Anaheim<\/a> have had several postseason standoffs, starting with the Predators<\/a>‘ first-ever playoff series win in 2011, then peaking with the Predators’ memorable Western Conference Final victory in 2017.<\/p>\n

Now, with the Ducks facing the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs<\/a>, the Predators have a new reason to hope the Ducks lose.<\/p>\n

Why the Predators want the Golden Knights to beat the Ducks<\/p>\n

Last June, the Predators traded Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon<\/a> to the Golden Knights in exchange for Nicolas Hague and a conditional 2027 third-round pick.<\/p>\n

As part of the condition, that third-round pick becomes a second-round pick if the Golden Knights win at least two rounds in the 2026 playoffs.<\/p>\n

Vegas already beat the Utah Mammoth<\/a> in six games to win in the first round. Now in a tight matchup against Anaheim, the series heads back to Vegas tied 2-2 after the Ducks won Game 4 on May 10. Game 5 is on May 12 (8:30 p.m. CT) and Game 6 is on May 14 (8:30 p.m. CT).<\/p>\n

If Vegas pulls through and beats Anaheim, the Predators would gain a second-round pick, improving their already impressive draft pick haul for 2026 and 2027. Here’s Nashville’s total number of draft picks per round over the next two drafts:<\/p>\n

Two 1st-round picks (1 in 2026, 1 in 2027)<\/p>\n

Three 2nd-round picks (2 in 2026, 1 in 2027, pending Vegas vs Anaheim result)<\/p>\n

Six 3rd-round picks (2 in 2026, 4 in 2027, pending Vegas vs Anaheim result)<\/p>\n

Four 4th-round picks (2 in 2026, 2 in 2027)<\/p>\n

Five 5th-round picks (3 in 2026, 2 in 2027)<\/p>\n

Two 6th-round picks (1 in 2026, 1 in 2027)<\/p>\n

Two 7th-round picks (1 in 2026, 1 in 2027)<\/p>\n

Following the NHL’s draft lottery, the Predators will pick at No. 10 overall in the 2026 draft. This will be Nashville’s ninth top-10 pick in franchise history and one year after taking Brady Martin at No. 5 overall.<\/p>\n

OPTIONS: Who will the Nashville Predators take at No. 10? Four options at the 2026 NHL Draft<\/a><\/p>\n

Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com<\/a>. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter,\u00a0@alexdaugherty1<\/a>.\u00a0Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page\u00a0@tennessean_preds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why the Predators need Golden Knights to win playoff series vs Ducks<\/a><\/p>\n