HIGHLIGHTS
- Stanley Cup Final starts Wednesday, June 4
- Panthers are looking to repeat as champions
- Stanley Cup Final prediction for Panthers vs Oilers below
We’ve made it. The 2025 Stanley Cup Final begins this week with Game 1 on Wednesday night in Edmonton, Alberta.
After the long 82-game regular season and three grueling playoff rounds, we have just two teams remaining. And we’re getting a rematch in the Stanley Cup Final with the Florida Panthers looking to repeat and the Edmonton Oilers looking to overcome last year’s defeat.
Which team will come out victorious and lift Lord Stanley’s Cup this time around? Let’s dive into our 2025 Stanley Cup Final prediction.
Stanley Cup Final Prediction
Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers Prediction
How The Panthers Got Here
The Florida Panthers finished third in the Atlantic Division with 98 points in the regular season, giving them an uphill battle on the road in the playoffs. But it didn’t necessarily look that way.
The Cats disposed of their in-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the first round to set up a matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round.
The Leafs were a different team this year — until they weren’t. Toronto took a 2-0 series lead and had a lead in Game 3, but the Panthers stayed with their game and sent the Leafs home in seven games.
Florida then faced another familiar foe in the Eastern Conference Final. The Carolina Hurricanes dropped just one game in each of their first two rounds before meeting the team that swept them two years ago.
And it looked like we’d get another sweep with the Panthers dominating the first three games. The Hurricanes battled back in Game 4 to force a Game 5 — another game they had a lead in — but the Panthers took care of business on the road.
How The Oilers Got Here
The Edmonton Oilers also finished third in their division, the Pacific, with 101 points in the regular season. They, too, did not have home-ice advantage in any playoff round (until the Stanley Cup Final), and it appeared as if that might cost them early.
The Oilers facing off against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round has become a yearly tradition, and the Kings had the upper hand early on.
Edmonton allowed six goals in each of the first two games before coming back in Game 3 to make it a series. The Oilers then rattled off four straight wins to dethrone the Kings, and made quick work of the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round in five games.
Perhaps what was most impressive about that victory over the Knights is that Vegas did not score in either of the final two games. The Oilers’ defensive game has stepped up in these playoffs, and that showed in the Western Conference Final as well.
The Dallas Stars took advantage of some careless penalties in the third period to win Game 1, but the Oilers buckled down to win the next four games against Dallas. After allowing six goals in Game 1, Edmonton gave up just five goals to the Stars the rest of the way.
How The Panthers Will Win
The Panthers are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight season. They’ve lost some pieces here and there along the way, but they made some key additions at the trade deadline to add to their already impressive depth.
The reigning Stanley Cup champions were coasting through the regular season and just so happened to add a top defenseman in Seth Jones and a veteran pest in Brad Marchand. Both players have given the Panthers an extra layer of depth to an already deep lineup.
Jones and Marchand help replace Brandon Montour and Vladimir Tarasenko, two of those pieces that the Panthers lost in the offseason. They’ve also had a few youngsters step up in big spots down the lineup to make up for the losses of Ryan Lomberg, Steven Lorentz, and Kyle Okposo.
If the Panthers repeat, it wouldn’t be a surprise. The betting odds for this series have it at about a coin flip, and anything can happen between these two top teams.
The Panthers know how to win, especially deep in the playoffs, and it doesn’t appear that they’re fatigued after a third straight run to the Stanley Cup Final.
How The Oilers Will Win
The Edmonton Oilers were just happy to be in the Stanley Cup Final last year with Connor McDavid leading the way. McDavid, of course, is leading the way once again, but this time around, he’s getting more help than last season.
The Oilers’ depth rivals the Panthers’ in these playoffs, although the season-ending injury to Zach Hyman will hurt. Still, Edmonton has 20 players with at least a point in the playoffs, and 19 with multiple points.
Their goalscoring has also been spread around, with 19 players finding the back of the net, including 12 multi-goalscorers and eight players scoring at least five goals.
The Panthers have the defensive prowess to at least limit McDavid and Draisaitl at 5-on-5. It’s going to be up to the likes of Evander Kane, Adam Henrique, and Connor Brown to continue to produce in the Stanley Cup Final.
Like the Cats, the Oilers also saw a few players depart in the offseason. Warren Foegele, Ryan McLeod, Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, and Cody Ceci are no longer with the team. Jake Walman has done a great job on the blue line with those forwards above, and Kasperi Kapanen chipping in offensively.
If the Oilers win, it’ll not only be on the back of McDavid but also a complete team effort. That includes between the pipes with Stuart Skinner, who is 6-1-0 with 10 goals allowed in seven games since getting pulled.
- Prediction: Oilers in 7
