The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are set to rematch in their second straight Stanley Cup Final. Last year’s final was an intense matchup that went to Game 7, where the Panthers won the cup on home ice. This year brings some new faces to the Oilers and the Panthers. Both teams have arguably improved their rosters and earned their spot in the Stanley Cup Final.
Let’s take a look at some players the Oilers must contain on a strong Panthers team.
Sam Bennett will get under your skin
Sam Bennett has been a beast in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has gotten under the skin of many opponents, making it extremely tough for them to win. His rough style of play fits perfectly with playoff hockey, which is why he is so valuable to the Panthers. Bennett currently has 16 points in 17 games played throughout the playoffs. He leads the NHL in playoff goals with 10, having three more than Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl.
Bennett was a pain in the side of the Oilers last year. He is one of those players who knows when to throw a shot at a top player on the opposing team, and has gotten away with it in the past. The 28-year-old threw plenty of hits in last year’s final, throwing 11 hits in Game 1 alone. It is safe to say that he will bring that same intensity this year, giving the Oilers as much frustration as possible. Evander Kane will certainly have his hands full as he will have to deal with Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, and Brad Marchand.
Watch out for their captain
The Panthers’ captain has become one of the best two-way players in the NHL. Aleksander Barkov was a key factor in shutting down Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in Game 7 of last year’s final. This will be more challenging this year, as the Oilers’ superstars will be seeking revenge. Still, Barkov was able to do it last year, so he is easily a key player the Oilers must contain in the series.
Barkov currently leads the Panthers in playoff points with 17 in 17 games. His recent highlight reel setup was a beautiful thing to watch. He was able to out-muscle defenceman Dmitry Orlov with one arm before dangling through the defenceman to set up Carter Verhaeghe for the series-winning goal. This goal highlights how complete of a player Barkov is. A shutdown forward who can score in huge moments.
The captain did not do a lot of damage on the scoreboard in last year’s final, but he showed up when it mattered. Barkov set up Verhaeghe for the first goal of the final, setting the tone for the entire series. Then, in Game 3, he scored the game-winning goal to give the Panthers a commanding 3–0 series lead. The remainder of the series was more defensive for him, where he had over a 50% win percentage on face-offs throughout the whole final.
Sergei Bobrovsky will be hard to get by
The Hall of Fame goaltender simply cannot be ignored in this topic. Sergei Bobrovsky has been outstanding throughout the 2025 playoffs and was another key reason why the Panthers won game seven last year. He locked it down when everything was on the line, and that is what a good goaltender does. His second-best game was in Game 7, where he posted a 0.958 save percentage while only allowing one goal against.
Bobrovsky currently holds a 0.912 save percentage and a 2.11 goals against average in this year’s playoff run. He is holding better stats this year than last year, but that is not a huge worry for the Oilers. Bobrovsky certainly had his struggles in last year’s Cup Final. In Games 4, 5, and 6, he struggled to make important saves. This led to him posting a sub-0.900 save percentage in all three of those important games. The Oilers put up five or more goals in those three games and have had a potent offence in the 2025 playoffs. Will they be able to get in Bobrovsky’s head?
Will we see a repeat of last year?
This Stanley Cup Final will have no shortage of star power. Both of these teams are loaded with talent, making them the two best teams in the NHL. Some new faces will be present in this series. The Oilers have added Jake Walman, Viktor Arvidsson, and Jeff Skinner, while the Panthers have added Brad Marchand, Nate Schmidt, and Seth Jones. All of these new faces will get some important playing time in the series. How will they shape in the most intense hockey of their lives?
A key difference in this year’s final is that the Oilers will have home ice advantage. This will be a huge factor in this series, as the Oilers currently have a 6–1 record while playing on home ice. The same could be argued for the Panthers, who hold an 8–2 record while playing on the road. All signs point towards this being an epic series to watch. The Stanley Cup Final begins Wednesday at 8 pm EST in Edmonton, Alberta.
Up Next: Forward lines matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers
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