The stage is set for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. For the second straight year, the Florida Panthers will face the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL`s championship series.
Not every sequel lives up to the original. Will this rematch be a classic like Rocky II, or a disappointment like The Godfather III? More importantly, can the Oilers turn the tables this time and bring the Cup back to Canada, ending a championship drought dating back to 1993?
Here’s an early breakdown of the series, including the schedule, betting information, and key notes on each team and the matchup.
Stanley Cup Final
Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers
Paths to the Final:
- Oilers: Defeated Kings (6 games), Golden Knights (5 games), Stars (5 games)
- Panthers: Defeated Lightning (5 games), Maple Leafs (7 games), Hurricanes (5 games)
Schedule:
- Game 1: Panthers at Oilers
- Game 2: Panthers at Oilers
- Game 3: Oilers at Panthers
- Game 4: Oilers at Panthers
- Game 5: Panthers at Oilers (if necessary)
- Game 6: Oilers at Panthers (if necessary)
- Game 7: Panthers at Oilers (if necessary)
Betting Intel
Cup winner odds:
- Oilers: -115
- Panthers: -105
Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoff MVP) odds:
- Connor McDavid (EDM): -110
- Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA): +250
- Aleksander Barkov (FLA): +425
- Leon Draisaitl (EDM): +800
- Matthew Tkachuk (FLA): +2500
- Sam Bennett (FLA): +3000
Matchup Notes
This marks the 12th Stanley Cup Final rematch in NHL history and the fifth in the expansion era (since 1967-68). The two most recent rematches (Pittsburgh vs. Detroit in 2008-09, Edmonton vs. Islanders in 1983-84) saw legends Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky win their first Stanley Cups, which could be seen as a positive omen for Connor McDavid.
Superstition played a role last year. The Panthers opted *not* to touch the Prince of Wales Trophy as Eastern Conference champions, a departure from 1996 and 2023 when they did touch it and subsequently lost in the Final. They won the Cup in 2024 after not touching it. The Oilers this year decided to touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl for winning the Western Conference, reversing their decision from last year and 2006 when they didn`t touch it and lost Game 7 of the Final in both instances.
In last year`s Final, Florida quickly built a commanding 3-0 series lead with an aggregate score of 11-4. However, Edmonton responded fiercely, winning the next three games by a combined score of 18-5. Game 7 was a tight battle, ending in a 2-1 victory for the Panthers, sealed by Sam Reinhart`s goal in the second period.
During the 2024-25 regular season, the Panthers won both meetings against the Oilers: 6-5 in Florida on December 16 and 4-3 in Edmonton on February 27.
This series features the top four picks from the 2014 NHL draft: Aaron Ekblad (No. 1, FLA), Sam Reinhart (No. 2, BUF/FLA), Leon Draisaitl (No. 3, EDM), and Sam Bennett (No. 4, CGY/FLA). This is the second consecutive Final (following 2024) where all four players from the top of the same draft class will participate.
Team Notes
Oilers
This is the Edmonton Oilers` ninth appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, the most among non-Original Six franchises and seventh overall.
Edmonton is the eighth team in the expansion era (since 1967-68) to reach the Final after losing their first two games of the opening playoff series. Notably, all seven previous teams to achieve this comeback went on to win the Stanley Cup, including the 2014 Los Angeles Kings, who remarkably overcame an 0-3 deficit in their first-round series.
Connor McDavid boasts a career average of 1.73 points per game against the Panthers (including playoffs), the highest rate by any player with at least 20 games played against Florida since the franchise`s inception. He leads players like Joe Sakic (1.44), Peter Forsberg (1.43), and Mario Lemieux (1.32).
After struggling with an 0-3 start in the postseason, goaltender Stuart Skinner has found his form, posting a 6-1 record in his last seven starts with impressive stats: a 1.41 goals-against average, .944 save percentage, and three shutouts.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers` longest-tenured player, could make history by becoming only the second player in NHL history (after Steve Yzerman in 1997) to win his first Stanley Cup after playing 14 or more seasons with the same franchise.
Panthers
The Florida Panthers are the ninth franchise in NHL history and the second in the past 40 years (joining the 2020-22 Tampa Bay Lightning) to reach three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals.
Florida has the opportunity to become the tenth franchise overall and eighth in the expansion era to successfully defend their Stanley Cup title.
Entering Game 1, the Panthers are on a hot streak on the road, having won their last five playoff games away from home. During this run, they have outscored opponents 27-7 and have been highly effective on the power play, converting at a 42.9% rate (6-for-14).
Over the Panthers` last 10 playoff games, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been exceptional, recording a 1.57 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage, and two shutouts. He enters the 2025 Final with 57 career playoff victories, trailing only Andrei Vasilevskiy (67) among active goalies.
Carter Verhaeghe scored his third career series-clinching goal in the Eastern Conference Final. His 12 career game-winning goals in the playoffs are double that of the next-closest player in Panthers history (Matthew Tkachuk with six).
Sam Bennett was the first player to reach the 10-goal mark in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. He is also the second-fastest player in franchise history to score 10 goals in a single postseason, behind Dave Lowry in 1996. Bennett`s 10 goals are tied for the third-most in a single Panthers playoff run, just behind Carter Verhaeghe (11 in 2024) and Matthew Tkachuk (11 in 2023).
Benedict Kingsley 
Rupert Hartwell