By Ross Vocaturo ’25
RAMSEY, NJ – The Stanley Cup Finals are ready to get underway on Saturday, June 8, when the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers hit the ice for Game 1 in Sunrise, Florida. Florida, fresh off a Stanley Cup Finals defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games just last year, is back on the grand stage, hungry for the Cup they’ve yet to win in their 30-year existence. On the other hand, Edmonton, led by the consensus best hockey player on the planet, Connor McDavid, has finally reached the Championship after years of coming up short. The matchup should be interesting, given that neither team has won a Cup in the 21st century: Florida has never won as previously mentioned, while Edmonton hasn’t won since the late 80s-early 90s.
The Florida Panthers are reaping the benefits of a draining rebuild that spanned more than a decade. Years of irrelevance has put them within four wins of a Stanley Cup two seasons in a row now. And, with the Panthers’ surge in success coming off the coattails of the early-2020s Tampa Bay Lightning dynasty, there’s a debate to be had about whether or not a culture shift is happening between the NHL and the Sunshine State. The Panthers, led by Head Coach Paul Maurice (4th all-time in Head Coach wins, spent time with Whales/Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, and Jets), have built their current core in a matter of a few years. Only three players on the current roster were drafted by the organization (Aleksander Barkov, Captain; Aaron Ekblad; and Anton Lundell). Sam Reinhart and Matt Tkachuk, two of the most vital pieces to this current roster, were both acquired via separate trades and have become pivotal to the organization’s success since arriving. Other key pieces, such as Carter Verhaeghe and Sergei Bobrovksy, were signed as unrestricted free agents. Rising defenseman Gustav Forsling was claimed off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes prior to his breakout on the scene. It’s safe to say that the Panthers played their cards right, and the results have shown on the ice in recent years.
Out West, the Edmonton Oilers took a different approach. While the Panthers dealt with irrelevancy for the better part of a decade, the Oilers were essentially glued to the bottom of not just the Western Conference, but the entire league standings. As a result, Edmonton found itself in the draft lottery essentially every off-season, collecting four first overall picks (2010, 2011, 2012, 2015), as well as many other high-end picks during the early 2010s. While two of those picks (Taylor Hall, 2010; Nail Yakupov, 2012) have since moved on, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2012) and Connor McDavid (2015) have become poster boys for the drastic transition in expectations in northern Alberta. Nugent-Hopkins, the longest tenured Oiler, had been on the dubious side of “bust” comparisons (not living up to the promise). However, his 100-point season in 2022-23 has changed narratives around him league-wide. As for Connor McDavid, it goes without saying that he is the best player in the NHL, and many have argued that he may eventually be one of the best players the league has ever seen when it’s all said and done. He’s crossed the 100-point threshold every season of his career, excluding an injury-riddled 2015-16 campaign and a COVID-shortened 2020. He and 2014 3rd overall pick Leon Draisaitl have established themselves as one of the most dynamic duos in the league. McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins make up part of the league’s most lethal power play unit – the other two being defenseman Evan Bouchard and winger Zach Hyman, fresh off a 54-goal season (his previous high was 36 goals the season). While Edmonton’s goaltending and defense has been in question, their offensive units are as dangerous as any in the league. And while Florida may be the deeper team, Edmonton’s advantage lies on special teams. For a team that started its season 2-9-1, the perception around the team has shifted drastically since current Head Coach Kris Knoblauch replaced then-coach Jay Woodcroft. Four wins for the Oilers would only cement an already impressive story into an all-time classic.
Florida’s path to the Finals: defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 games in the 1st round, a revenge spot for Florida after being swept by Tampa in 2022, this 5-game set essentially sent the torch to the southern part of the State; defeated the Boston Bruins in 6 games in the 2nd round, needing one less game to knock off the same opponent they upset a round earlier this time last year in dramatic fashion (Boston had won the President’s Trophy while Florida snuck in as the second wild-card in 2023); defeated the New York Rangers in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals, this year’s President’s Trophy winner which let a 2-1 lead slip, despite outstanding play from Rangers’ goalie Igor Shesterkin.
Edmonton’s path to the Finals: defeated the Los Angeles Kings in 5 games in the first round, their third year in a row knocking off LA in the first best-of-seven (won in 7 games in 2022, 6 games in 2023); defeated the Vancouver Canucks in 7 games, took care of business in a win-or-go-home road game following after facing elimination twice in the first all-Canada playoff series since 2021 (Canadiens vs Jets); defeated the Dallas Stars in 6 games, won 3 in a row after being down 2-1 on home ice.
The series kicks off on Saturday, June 8 on ABC/ESPN. My personal prediction is Florida winning the series in 5 games, with Aleksander Barkov winning the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP). But regardless, it should be interesting to see how two of the league’s most dynamic offenses take the grandest stage to round out the 2023-24 regular season.