The Edmonton Oilers will compete in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006. After punching their ticket to the final round of the playoffs with a Game 6 victory over the Dallas Stars over the weekend, they’ll face off against the Florida Panthers on Saturday June 8, 2024 in Game 1 of the final.
While the Oilers have dominated every series they’ve played, they are not the favourites against the Panthers in the eyes of the sports books.
Underdog mentality
According to the bookies, the Panthers are the favourites to win the final round of the 2024 NHL playoffs and win the Stanley Cup.
| Team | Odds to win |
|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | +110 |
| Florida Panthers | -130 |
In terms of how many games the series will go to, the Panthers are favoured at each potential outcome:
| Team/Score | Odds | Team/Score | Odds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers 4-0 | +1200 | Panthers 4-0 | +900 | |
| Oilers 4-1 | +750 | Panthers 4-1 | +500 | |
| Oilers 4-2 | +500 | Panthers 4-2 | +450 | |
| Oilers 4-3 | +550 | Panthers 4-3 | +425 |
This is not unfamiliar territory for the Oilers. After the first couple weeks of the season, the Oilers were 31st overall in the NHL with a playoff berth seeming like an almost unattainable goal. Not only did they turn their season around by playing solid team hockey, winning a franchise-record-setting 16 games in a row, and adding valuable depth at the trade deadline, they overcame a Conference Finals opponent who was favoured to beat them, too.
This will only serve as further motivation for the Oilers to win the sixth Stanley Cup in their franchise history, and the first by a Canadian team since 1993.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
