Stanley Cup Final 2025: Panthers vs. Oilers preview, predictions

One year after a hard-fought seven-game series, the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers battled their way back for a Stanley Cup Final rematch. The Panthers fight to defend their title after taking the first round, but Connor McDavid and the Oilers are out for revenge.

Both teams advanced to the Stanley Cup Final with relative ease, and Florida comes off a dominant performance against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. The Panthers outscored the Canes 21-10 while ousting their opponent in just five games.

Florida began its playoff run by dominating the rival Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, but the team did get a scare from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round. The Leafs took a 2-0 series lead and pushed the defending champs to seven games, but the Panthers took Game 7 in a rout.

The Panthers are now just the fourth team since 1980 to reach the Stanley Cup Final in three consecutive seasons. They can be the third team since 2000 to win back-to-back Cup titles.

In order for the Panthers to accomplish that feat, they will have to get by an Oilers team desperate to win their first Stanley Cup since 1990. They were one win away last year, but the Panthers narrowly edged them out in Game 7.

This postseason, Edmonton has been on a mission to get another crack at the Cup. Since falling behind 2-0 in their first-round series against the Kings, the Oilers have gone 12-2 while rolling through the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been brilliant, and they lead the NHL in scoring this postseason with 26 and 25 points, respectively. That duo will try to drive Edmonton to a Cup, and they’ll be leaned upon even more heavily than usual with Zach Hyman out of the lineup.

Before this Stanley Cup Final rematch gets started, check out our expert predictions on which team will be the last one standing.

Nivison: The Oilers and Panthers have looked like the best two teams in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, so it’s only fitting they’re the last ones left. As is usually the case, this matchup will likely come down to how well Edmonton’s depth fares when McDavid and Draisaitl are off the ice because the Panthers have a very clear advantage there.

When McDavid and Draisaitl are at the top of their games, the Oilers are next to impossible to beat, and that has been the case over the last few rounds. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has stepped up, and Evan Bouchard has shined on the blue line. Most importantly for Edmonton, Stuart Skinner has completely turned things around in goal. Over his last six starts, Skinner has saved 4.81 goals above average with a .936 save percentage.

Florida’s roster has no clear holes. The team is getting key contributions from everyone – the stars, role players and the defense. Ten Panthers have double-digit points in these playoffs compared to just seven Oilers, one of which is now out for the season. Edmonton has defended quite well, but the Panthers are unlike any other opponent. Florida has four lines that can grind even the best defensive corps into a pulp, so the Oilers’ defense will face its greatest test in this series. Florida’s team defense, from Aleksander Bakov to Seth Jones, has been top-notch. That matchup against McDavid and Draisaitl will be quite the show.

This should be another terrific series between these two teams, but the result will be the same as it was last year. The Panthers’ depth and tenacious forecheck outlast the Oilers for back-to-back Stanley Cup wins. Prediction — Panthers def. Oilers 4-2

Bengel: Despite neither team being a top seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there’s very little doubt that the Oilers and Panthers have been the two most impressive teams in this year’s field. It’ll mark just the fifth Stanley Cup Final rematch during the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967) as the two teams attempt to go to war once again.

The Oilers possess an extremely top-heavy roster that is paced by the dynamic one-two punch of McDavid and Draisaitl. When the two are at the top of their game, Edmonton is an incredibly dangerous team from an offensive standpoint. However, the team’s depth could be called into question with their top six forwards taking a massive hit in the Western Conference Final. Forward Zach Hyman suffered an upper-body injury in Game 4 against the Dallas Stars and was forced to have season-ending surgery. Without Hyman in the lineup, that takes a ton of goal-scoring prowess away from the Oilers at the top of their lineup.

Meanwhile, the Panthers are about as deep of a team as has been constructed in recent years. Florida possesses a veteran-laden group that is extremely aggress on the forecheck, while also having a very capable back end defensively. The Panthers are led by a ridiculous forward group that has five players with at least five goals this postseason. The addition of Brad Marchand at the trade deadline continues to pay massive dividends with the veteran winger bringing a little bit of everything to the table. His 10 assists are tied for second on the team entering the Stanley Cup Final and his experience should rise to the occasion as this series moves along.

This should prove to be another entertaining series like we got last season, but the Panthers will ultimately prove to have too much depth for the Oilers to handle. Prediction — Panthers def. Oilers 4-3