Tank's 2025 Stanley Cup Final Preview

Stanley Cup Final

• Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers
• Oilers in Seven

It's an instant replay, as the Oilers and Panthers meet again. Last year, the Panthers won their first Stanley Cup in seven games, winning the final game, after the Oilers nearly overcame a 3-0 deficit. This time around, it is the Oilers who have home ice, with a possible Game 7 being played in Edmonton, as well as the first two games of the series. Both teams come into the Stanley Cup Final playing their best hockey of the season. They both finished third in their divisions, with the Panthers steamrolling the Lightning in five games before needing seven games to beat the Maple Leafs, and taking five games to blow past the Hurricanes. The Oilers, meanwhile, dropped the first two games against the Kings, but have lost just two since, winning their first-round series in six games, while taking just five games to knock out the Golden Knights and Stars. 

Much like last year, the Oilers are led by the two-headed monster of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who are 1-2 in scoring during the postseason. McDavid won the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP despite not winning the Stanley Cup, and he is on pace to do it again with 26 points, one ahead of Draisaitl. The Panthers are more balanced in their attack, as Brad Marchand, acquired at the trade deadline, has given Florida the veteran edge a team seeking a second sip from the cup needs.

The goaltending edge is with the Panthers as Sergei Bobrovsky has once again had a great postseason, leading the Panthers to their third straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. His 2.11 GAA once again has been the secret sauce in the Panthers' recipe for success. The Oilers, meanwhile, have had the duties split between Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner. Skinner was terrific against Dallas, earning a shutout win in Game 2 in Dallas to help turn the series in Edmonton's favor. 

The Panthers have been road warriors in the 2025 postseason, holding an 8-2 record on the road through the first three series, while posting a 4-3 record at home. Teams that are successful on the road often win the Stanley Cup, as six of the seven teams that have won more than eight road playoff games have won the Stanley Cup. 

The Canadian Stanley Cup drought is the story of this series. The Panthers had a 3-0 lead last year, and the Oilers clawed back to force a seventh game. That momentum will carry on into this series. The drought is due to end, and the Oilers are the right team at the right time to do it. It has been since 1993 that a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup. I was in my final days before graduating from high school. The Panthers were four months away from playing their first game as a franchise. The last two times there have been Stanley Cup rematches, the losing team from the previous year avenged its loss and won the Stanley Cup. This was true in 2009, when the Penguins beat the Red Wings, and in 1984 when the Oilers ended the Islanders' dynasty. Conor McDavid is the best player in the NHL. He has been the best player for several years. It is his time, and the Oilers will win the series in seven games. 

Ethan Miller. Getty Images.

Conn Smythe

Connor McDavid, Edmonton