Stanley Cup Final Rematch Set Between Florida And Edmonton

The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are set to face off in the Stanley Cup Final for the second-straight year. This is a rare occurrence in hockey. The last two teams to do this were the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings in 2008 and 2009.

As fate would have it, both Florida and Edmonton are back. They’re certainly familiar with each other after playing in a seven-game series last season. For the Oilers, revenge is on their mind as Connor McDavid looks to solidify himself as the best hockey player in recent memory. For the Panthers, they look to repeat as Stanley Cup Final champs and become the next dynasty in the NHL.

Trying To Keep Lord Stanley Down South

Both teams met twice in the regular season, with Florida winning both contests, 6-5 in December and 4-3 in February. Not that it matters, as playoff hockey is its own thing.

After throwing Tampa Bay out the window in the first round, the Cats were pushed to the brink in the second round. After dropping the first two games to Toronto, they won the next three. The Leafs won in Game Six but fell flat in Game Seven, as the Panthers dominated with a 6-1 win. They then packed up Carolina in the Eastern Conference Final with a gentleman’s sweep.

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK pic.twitter.com/j0pDDHrDOt

— x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 29, 2025

Florida and Edmonton both feature a whole host of returners from last season’s Cup Final. The Cats’ core of Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Evan Rodrigues, and Sergei Bobrovsky are back, just to name a few.

They lost some players in the process, like Brandon Montour and Vladimir Tarasenko. However, they did an excellent job filling in the gaps, with pickups like Seth Jones and Brad Marchand paying dividends in the postseason.

AJ Greer was another solid pickup, but he’s currently day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. He’s the only Panther that’s unlikely to get the nod in Game One.

Representing The Great Nation Of Canada

After losing the first two games in the first round to Los Angeles, the Oilers turned things around and won four straight. This is the fourth-straight season in which the Oilers have taken down the Kings in the first round. They packed up Vegas in five games right after, then did the same to Dallas in the Western Conference Final.

For Edmonton, their one-two punch of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is still deadly, spearheading the offense of Edmonton. They’re combined with other playmakers like Mattias Janmark, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane, and Stuart Skinner in the net.

BACK-TO-BACK WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS‼️@SentinelStorage | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/iEDM7x8Fmp

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 30, 2025

Injury-wise, Zach Hyman is out for the entire series with an upper-body injury he suffered in the WCF. Connor Brown is going to be a game-time decision for Game One of the Stanley Cup Final due to an illness. Still, both teams are entering the series with most of their main weapons ready to go.

Final Thoughts Before Puck Drop

Both teams are so even on paper. They didn’t overhaul their philosophies since the last time they met. They weren’t hit too hard in the offseason and got necessary pickups to fill holes.

It’s a coin flip, but I feel Florida has the advantage in two areas – general defense and goaltending. Florida’s forecheck is its bread and butter. When it’s on, opposing offenses are crushed and defenses are gassed. As the game goes on, the Cats can stay aggressive while their opponents run out of energy and time.

That was how they limited Connor McDavid and the Edmonton offense in the first three games of the SCF in 2024, alongside Game Seven. The Oilers broke through eventually, but couldn’t score in the most important game of it all.

When Sergei Bobrovsky is at his best, he can register shutouts against the most dangerous offenses in hockey, like Tampa, Toronto, and Carolina. Stuart Skinner has had a mixed postseason run, but has played better as the playoffs have gone on. But I feel if one goalie had to break first, it would be Skinner.

Edmonton will have the revenge factor, but I think Florida will be ready for that. Their success on the road will also benefit them in Games One and Two. This series can go either way, but you have to believe in the heart of a champion.

Cats in Six.