Lapsed fan’s guide to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final: Everything you need to know about Panthers-Oilers
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
After nearly two months of Stanley Cup playoffs, we are down to two teams left. The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers begin the final series of the season on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+), with the ultimate prize in hockey on the line.
As a service to those fans who haven’t been following every shot, save and overtime thriller of the 2024 NHL postseason, here is the lapsed fan’s guide to the Stanley Cup Final — a quick primer on the conference champs, how they got here and what to look out for in the series.
Wait a second … Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers? Wasn’t this the New York Rangers‘ year?
It sure seemed like the Rangers were a team of destiny. It was the 30th anniversary of their last Stanley Cup win in 1994. They rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs with overtime heroics. Rempe-mania was running wild! As coach Peter Laviolette admitted, from the players to the rest of the organization, “We truly believed we were going to win the Stanley Cup.”
Alas, the Rangers ran into a Panthers team in the Eastern Conference finals that smothered them defensively and drained their potent power play.
They ended up as the latest example of the Presidents’ Trophy curse: Since 1985, only eight teams that finished with the NHL’s best regular-season record went on to win the Stanley Cup. Since the NHL went to the wild-card format in 2013, no Presidents’ Trophy-winning team has reached the Stanley Cup Final.
According to maps, Edmonton, Alberta, and Sunrise, Florida, seem very far away.
Your geography is correct. According to the NHL, the Oilers and Panthers are 2,541 miles apart, the largest distance between two teams in a Stanley Cup Final. The previous record was set during the 2011 Final between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins at 2,500 miles apart.
There’s going to be a lot of time on the plane for both teams. Edmonton is a bit more used to that than Florida at this point in the postseason.
Said Edmonton’s Corey Perry of the flight to South Florida: “It was a ton of fun. I watched my show, I fell asleep, got up, watched the shows and we landed. Had a few meals in between.”
The Panthers’ plane has a card table that draws some intense games among the players. The Oilers’ plane also has a card table, but the most intense games are on the Nintendo Switch and specifically Mario Kart. Goalie Stuart Skinner revealed that he plays as Toad.
But the distance isn’t the only stark difference between the two franchise. There’s also the rats and the steaks.
Rats and steaks?
Since 1995, it’s been a tradition at Panthers home games for fans to throw plastic rats on the ice in celebration. It stems from a legendary moment when forward Scott Mellanby used his stick to exterminate a rat in the locker room before the team’s home opener that year and then used the same stick to score two goals in the game — scoring what his teammates called “a rat trick.” Florida would go on to play for the Stanley Cup that season, with fans tossing plastic rats on the ice, and the tradition has endured for decades.
In Edmonton, the beef is back. During the Oilers’ 2006 run to the Stanley Cup Final, a local DJ encouraged fans to throw slabs of meat on the ice as a response to the Detroit Red Wings‘ tradition of hurling octopi on the ice. The Oilers upset the Red Wings in the first round, and the beef tossing continued. Some steaks were seen on the ice in Edmonton during this run to the Final, continuing a juicy tradition.
What’s the big-picture view of Panthers vs. Oilers?
The Panthers are trying to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Oilers haven’t won one since the end of their dynasty in 1990.
The Panthers are the deeper team on paper, especially on defense and in goal. But they don’t have Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, two generational talents seeking their first championship after several years of frustrating results in the playoffs.
It’s South Florida, which is finally starting to boom as a hockey market after three decades, vs. Canada, as the Oilers attempt to become the first Canadian NHL team to win the Stanley Cup since 1993.
Is Canada rallying around the Oilers to break the drought?
To put the Cup drought into perspective: Canada has seen an NBA champion (Toronto Raptors, 2019) and World Series champion (Toronto Blue Jays, 1993) since the nation last had a Stanley Cup champion.
The Canucks (twice), Oilers, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators all had their shots at breaking the drought and fell short. What we learned from all of those previous attempts: Canadians rooting for a team to win the Cup just because it’s from Canada is a myth. It’s an invention. It’s often talked about but never happens.
Think of it logically: Would a fan of the Flames, the Oilers’ in-province rival, ever want to see Edmonton win anything, especially against a team with ex-Flames star Matthew Tkachuk? Would a Canucks fan whose team lost in seven games to these Oilers suddenly cheer for them? Does anyone in Toronto want anything good to happen for any other Canadian team when the Leafs haven’t won since 1967?
Of course not. It’s silly. There’s only one team Canada rallies around to root for, and it’s the one that competes for gold medals, not the Stanley Cup.
2:04
Greg Wyshynski analyzes Stanley Cup Final betting markets
Greg Wyshynski looks deep into some of the biggest storylines and betting props for the Stanley Cup Final.
The Panthers used to be terrible. How did they become annual Stanley Cup finalists?
Here’s a wild fact: Coach Paul Maurice, the quippy bench boss who also coached the Panthers to the Final for the second time in their history last season, is responsible for half (25) of the franchise’s playoff wins (50). Florida used to be known for not making the playoffs, at one point qualifying only twice in an 18-year span. The Panthers have now made the playoffs in four straight seasons.
Much of the credit goes to GM Bill Zito, who arrived in 2020 and added players like Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe to the roster. He also hired Maurice, who has guided Florida back to the Final after losing to Vegas in five games last June.
The Panthers are just the sixth team since 1968 to play for the Stanley Cup the season after losing in the Final. The last two that did — the 2009 Penguins and the 1984 Oilers — won it all on their second try. If there’s one big narrative for the Panthers, it’s the unfinished business in trying to win the Stanley Cup for the first time.
What’s different about this version of the Panthers in the Final?
They’re healthier, for sure. Among the injuries Florida had against the Golden Knights: Defenseman Aaron Ekblad had a broken foot and two separated shoulders and Tkachuk broke his sternum before Game 3. But the Panthers are also a different team defensively. They were 21st in goals against per game in 2022-23 (3.32) but rose to first in the NHL (2.41) this season.
They used that defense — and the clutch goaltending of Sergei Bobrovsky — to defeat the rival Tampa Bay Lightning in five games; oust the Bruins in six games, in a rematch of the Panthers’ shocking first-round upset of the B’s last season; and then eliminate the Rangers in six games.
Bobrovsky is seeking his first Stanley Cup in a career that has seen him win the Vezina Trophy twice as the league’s top goalie and eliminate the regular-season’s best team three times in the playoffs. Last season, he carried the Panthers and faced a bunch of shots; this season, the defense has been better and a more rested Bobrovsky has been a solid last line of defense for Florida.
But this season, the key defensive matchup should be Aleksander Barkov, who won the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward, taking on McDavid.
Weren’t the Oilers basically cooked early in the season?
It certainly appeared that way. Edmonton was 3-9-1 when the Oilers fired head coach Jay Woodcroft and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch, who was coaching the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford. (Knoblauch was also McDavid’s junior hockey coach, and the Oilers star has denied having any influence on the coaching change.) The Oilers added Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Coffey to Knoblauch’s bench to help coach the defense.
Edmonton then turned its season around, going 46-18-5 under Knoblauch to finish second in the Pacific Division. The Oilers eliminated the Los Angeles Kings for the third straight first round (4-1) and then outlasted the Canucks in a seven-game second-round series that might have been a defining moment for them as a contender — and for their first-year coach.
How did the Vancouver series change the Oilers?
If there was a weak link for Edmonton entering the playoffs, it was goaltending. Stuart Skinner was squarely in the “just don’t lose us a series” territory.
For the first eight games of the playoffs, despite winning five of them, he was a liability: an .877 save percentage, in back of an inconsistent defense. So Knoblauch benched him for Games 4 and 5 against Vancouver in favor of journeyman Calvin Pickard, to give Skinner a reset and to give a wake-up call to the Oilers.
Skinner’s next eight games: six wins and a .919 save percentage, with Edmonton out-defending a very good Dallas Stars team in its six-game Western Conference finals win. Finally, there appeared to be a team playing championship-level hockey surrounding McDavid.
What’s so special about McDavid, anyway?
Sometimes it’s better to show than tell:
0:42
Connor McDavid’s power-play goal opens the scoring in Game 6
Connor McDavid makes a brilliant move and backhands the puck into the net to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead.
That’s McDavid against the Stars in Game 6 of the conference finals, posterizing two defenders before beating goalie Jake Oettinger. It was less than five minutes into the biggest game of McDavid’s career, with a trip to the Cup Final on the line. For anyone else, this is a career-defining highlight. For McDavid, it’s simply known as “Connor doing Connor things.”
McDavid leads all playoff scorers with 31 points in 18 playoff games. That includes 26 assists, putting him five helpers away from Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record for most assists in a single postseason (31 assists in 1988). McDavid has scored in 14 games, with nine multipoint games.
He has collected a lot of hardware during his nine-year NHL career — five scoring titles, three MVP awards — but this is his first chance to play for the Stanley Cup. And he might finally have the right team around him to win it.
What do the Oilers have beyond McDavid?
Leon Draisaitl is every bit the generational talent and franchise pillar that McDavid is. He has 28 points in 18 games, including 10 goals. There were times when it was Draisaitl who stepped up in both ends of the rink to lead the Oilers to victory during the playoffs. As magical as McDavid is, the Oilers aren’t here without Draisaitl.
Neither of the two has the goal total of Zach Hyman, although McDavid and Draisaitl have certainly contributed to it. Hyman leads the playoffs with 14 goals, after scoring 54 goals in the regular season. That puts him in range to threaten the NHL record of 19 goals in a single postseason, currently shared by Reggie Leach and Jari Kurri, the latter of whom set it as an Oiler. Speaking of range, 10 of Hyman’s goals have come from right in front of the net.
If there’s one player who leveled up to star status in the playoffs, it’s Edmonton defenseman Evan Bouchard. He’s third in the playoffs in scoring (27 points) while skating 24:33 per game alongside defensive partner Mattias Ekholm.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has 20 points in 18 games, and is notable for being the longest-serving current Oiler — 881 games, spanning nine head coaches, a few general managers and plenty of dashed hopes.
All of these players share something in common: They help run one of the most dominant power-play units in NHL history.
How good is the Edmonton power play?
The Oilers convert on over 37% of their power plays, easily the best in the NHL. McDavid acts like a point guard, distributing pucks. Draisaitl, who’s tied with McDavid with 14 power-play points, is great on one-timers. Bouchard has a booming shot from the point, and Hyman cleans up pucks in front. Knoblauch calls Nugent-Hopkins “the facilitator,” which makes this sound like a heist crew.
While the best advice in slowing the Oilers’ power play is to just not allow them to have one, the Panthers are the second-best penalty-killing team in the playoffs (88.2%), coming off a series in which they thwarted 14 of 15 power plays for the Rangers, who were also one of the NHL’s best teams with the man advantage.
Incidentally, the best penalty-killing team in the playoffs? The Oilers, at 93.9%.
What’s the key to victory for both teams?
For the Panthers, it’s to take away the time and space for McDavid and Draisaitl to operate, while not allowing them chances to score on the power play. It’s a recipe that worked against the Rangers in the conference finals, to the point where New York’s best offensive players said they were playing more conservatively out of fear of making a mistake against Florida. Then, if that fails, relying on Bobrovsky to be the last line of defense.
For the Oilers, it’s just the opposite: If they’re on the road to victory, McDavid and Draisaitl are driving the bus. Yes, they’ll need Skinner to stay strong and require contributions from other players, but at the end of the day the Stanley Cup will be won or lost on the performance of their two stars.
Whether it’s the Panthers as a franchise or McDavid and Draisaitl as generational stars, someone’s earning their first sip from the Stanley Cup this month. And that makes for a very exciting series.
1:09
Trivia: Think you know the Stanley Cup?
Before the Panthers’ matchup vs. the Oilers for the Stanley Cup, test your knowledge with some trivia.
The compressed NHL schedule for the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs, draft and free agency means that the majority of July and August is … a bit slower.
But it’s also the perfect time to refresh our Power Rankings of all 32 teams heading into 2025-26!
In addition to the latest 1-32 poll, this edition includes the top storyline for each team during the summer break.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on how strong each team will be in the 2025-26 season, which generates our master list.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the final 2024-25 edition, published April 11. Stanley Cup odds are per ESPN BET as of July 24.
Pre-playoff ranking: 11
Stanley Cup odds: +600
The Panthers had another epic celebration with the Stanley Cup, then proceeded to re-sign their big three pending free agents: Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. Is a three-peat possible?
Pre-playoff ranking: 10
Stanley Cup odds: +850
A second straight loss in the Stanley Cup Final resulted in no small amount of self-reflection — all while the proverbial sword of Damocles hangs over the franchise in Connor McDavid‘s potential free agency in 2026. One item that remains unchecked? Finding a better solution in goal.
Pre-playoff ranking: 3
Stanley Cup odds: +1000
Another trip to the Western Conference finals wasn’t enough for Peter DeBoer to save his job, who was replaced by former Stars coach Glen Gulutzan in July. How will the first full season of the Mikko Rantanen Era go?
Pre-playoff ranking: 7
Stanley Cup odds: +800
Given all the re-signings this offseason, there weren’t a bevy of high-impact free agents available. However, one of the top ones signed with the Hurricanes. How will Nikolaj Ehlers be deployed in Rod Brind’Amour’s system? And can he be the difference-maker next postseason?
Pre-playoff ranking: 4
Stanley Cup odds: +850
Same old Knights. The biggest fish in the free agency pond this offseason was Mitch Marner, and sure enough, Vegas’ front office found a way to land him. It presents a salary cap situation for the club, though that’s also nothing new. Marner visits Toronto on Jan. 23, for those in a calendar-circling mood.
Pre-playoff ranking: 1
Stanley Cup odds: +2500
The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners as regular-season champs lost a key player in Nikolaj Ehlers this offseason, but gained perhaps the sport’s biggest X factor in Jonathan Toews, a three-time Stanley Cup winner who hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season because of health concerns.
Pre-playoff ranking: 5
Stanley Cup odds: +750
A first-round playoff loss is a bit misleading, as it was to fellow juggernaut Dallas Stars. The Avs believe they’ve solved their second-line center dilemma with a contract for 2024-25 trade addition Brock Nelson, but do they have enough depth to make another Cup run?
Pre-playoff ranking: 6
Stanley Cup odds: +2000
Toronto’s seemingly Quixotic quest to win another Stanley Cup continues. It has been an offseason of ups and downs so far. The Leafs lost Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade with Vegas but inked one of the summer’s best deals with the new pact for Matthew Knies. As always, it’s high drama in the “centre of the hockey universe.”
Pre-playoff ranking: 2
Stanley Cup odds: +3000
Alex Ovechkin begins the 2025-26 season as the NHL’s all-time goals leader — and three away from 900. But the Caps won’t simply be feeding him pucks all season. This team will hope to get further than the second round, perhaps giving Ovi another Cup for his Hall of Fame résumé.
Pre-playoff ranking: 9
Stanley Cup odds: +1400
The Lightning continue to expertly massage their roster within the bounds of the salary cap. That continued this offseason, as they extended Yanni Gourde and Gage Goncalves for scoring depth. Another long playoff run is possible, though they’ll likely have to defeat their rivals from South Florida at some point on that road.
1:27
Bettman shares 4 Nations tournament success with McAfee
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman joins “The Pat McAfee Show” and details the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
Pre-playoff ranking: 8
Stanley Cup odds: +2000
After signing a bevy of veteran depth to the roster in free agency, the Kings created the NHL’s best schedule release video. It has been an exciting summer already!
Pre-playoff ranking: 13
Stanley Cup odds: +4000
At one point there was some thought that the Wild would sign Minnesota natives Brock Nelson or Brock Boeser (or both). Instead, each re-signed with his 2024-25 team. Bringing in Vladimir Tarasenko could be one of the offseason’s deftest moves, if the veteran forward can find his former scoring touch that mostly eluded him this past season.
Pre-playoff ranking: 15
Stanley Cup odds: +1600
Aside from some depth tweaks, the Devils didn’t do a ton thus far this offseason — though re-signing Jake Allen may prove to be one of the wiser roster moves. How will Luke Hughes‘ next contract impact the rest of their decisions?
Pre-playoff ranking: 12
Stanley Cup odds: +5000
After a playoff appearance this past season, it has been a relatively quiet offseason so far for St. Louis. And as of right now, the club doesn’t have the cap space to sign anyone to a bold offer sheet.
Pre-playoff ranking: 14
Stanley Cup odds: +3500
Senators GM Steve Staios has indicated that he likes what he has on the roster and expects growth from within. That was evident this offseason, as the club’s most noteworthy move was re-signing veteran forward Claude Giroux to a one-year deal.
Pre-playoff ranking: 17
Stanley Cup odds: +6000
Fresh off a somewhat surprising Stanley Cup playoff appearance, the Canadiens made one of the offseason’s boldest moves by trading two first-round picks for 25-year-old defenseman Noah Dobson, then inking him to an eight-year deal. Are the playoffs now an every-year thing for the Habs?
Pre-playoff ranking: 20
Stanley Cup odds: +3000
The Rangers switched coaches — from Cup winner Peter Laviolette to Cup winner Mike Sullivan — and found a trade destination for K’Andre Miller after the decision was made not to re-sign the restricted free agent. In between they landed one of the top available free agents, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. Is it enough to get them back in the postseason mix?
Pre-playoff ranking: 16
Stanley Cup odds: +15000
Another GM who believes — apparently — that growth will come from within, GM Craig Conroy told reporters that the players his front office had targeted in free agency signed elsewhere, and he didn’t feel any great need to spend $15 million-plus in cap space just to spend it. He could be onto something, as the team’s youth movement isn’t all Calder Trophy finalist Dustin Wolf — though having a great young goaltender certainly doesn’t hurt.
Pre-playoff ranking: 19
Stanley Cup odds: +4000
There was no playoff hockey in Utah this past spring, but GM Bill Armstrong pulled many different levers this offseason to put his team in the best spot to bring it there in 2026. The team traded for a potential superstar in JJ Peterka, signed proven veteran depth in Nate Schmidt and Brandon Tanev, and drafted Caleb Desnoyers with the No. 4 pick, a 200-foot center who will play a key role for the team sooner than later.
Pre-playoff ranking: 21
Stanley Cup odds: +10000
Little Caesars Arena has yet to host a playoff game. Is this the season that the drought ends? Detroit was knocking on the door this past season, and GM Steve Yzerman filled perhaps the org’s biggest need by trading for veteran goaltender John Gibson this summer.
Pre-playoff ranking: 18
Stanley Cup odds: +6000
Based on how the Canucks finished the 2024-25 season, continuity didn’t seem like the best option this summer. But aside from making a coaching change (from Rick Tocchet to Adam Foote) and trading for Evander Kane, it’s mostly status quo. That said, re-signing Brock Boeser was probably an easier option than trying to replace a player who scored 65 goals combined the past two seasons.
Pre-playoff ranking: 22
Stanley Cup odds: +10000
To the surprise of many the Blue Jackets remained in the playoff race until the final week of the season, thanks in large part to a Norris Trophy finalist campaign by Zach Werenski. The club made some depth additions this offseason — Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood will be particularly useful if they do make the 2026 playoffs. But are there some additional moves up GM Don Waddell’s sleeve before October?
Pre-playoff ranking: 23
Stanley Cup odds: +10000
New GM Mathieu Darche was not bashful in his first weeks on the job. Following the Noah Dobson trade, he and his associates drafted an A+ class, per ESPN’s Rachel Doerrie, and added an X factor forward in Jonathan Drouin. This is a team on the rise.
Pre-playoff ranking: 24
Stanley Cup odds: +10000
At some point, the Ducks’ rebuild will be over, and that day might be coming sooner than many suspect. GM Pat Verbeek was quite busy this summer, adding Chris Kreider in a trade and sending Trevor Zegras to Philly in another swap. The Ducks also added Mikael Granlund in free agency; he will be critical to their playoff chances. And if all of that wasn’t enough, they got a top-five talent in the draft class with the No. 10 pick in Roger McQueen, and then sent him to Disneyland to celebrate.
0:29
Ducks draft pick Roger McQueen celebrates at Disneyland
Roger McQueen arrives at Disneyland to celebrate being drafted No. 10 by the Ducks.
Pre-playoff ranking: 29
Stanley Cup odds: +10000
Boston’s offseason business has primarily involved adding depth around the edges — and drafting future franchise center James Hagens, who will play another season at Boston College. Is there a big trade in store?
Pre-playoff ranking: 25
Stanley Cup odds: +20000
At some point, the longest playoff drought in the big four North American professional sports leagues will end. Will that be this season? The Sabres don’t appear better on paper than they were at the end of 2024-25, and they might even be worse, given that JJ Peterka was traded to Utah.
Pre-playoff ranking: 28
Stanley Cup odds: +7500
The Flyers began the offseason by hiring franchise legend Rick Tocchet to take over behind the bench. Then, they drafted a class of nine players who all play like him (or are built like he was in his playing days). In between, they traded for Trevor Zegras, who could wind up as the biggest steal of the offseason.
Pre-playoff ranking: 27
Stanley Cup odds: +30000
The Kraken have been patiently building a balanced roster with long-term success in mind. Can they finally turn a corner in 2025-26 after an offseason in which the big additions were Mason Marchment and Ryan Lindgren?
Pre-playoff ranking: 30
Stanley Cup odds: +10000
The Predators were the no-doubt winners of free agency in 2024 — and then missed the playoffs by a country mile in 2024-25. By contrast, the 2025 offseason included some low-key moves that should help get them back on track, including a trade for Nicolas Hague and the signings of Erik Haula and Nick Perbix.
Pre-playoff ranking: 26
Stanley Cup odds: +20000
It’s uncertain how long the trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang will remain on the ice, and the rumors have picked up that one, two or all three could finish their NHL careers elsewhere. GM Kyle Dubas has been busy stocking the prospect cupboards, a process that will continue leading up to opening night, with Erik Karlsson and Bryan Rust frequently mentioned in trade rumors.
Pre-playoff ranking: 32
Stanley Cup odds: +50000
The Sharks are still probably a year away from a serious run at a playoff spot, but GM Mike Grier added a ton of talent to his roster this summer. No. 2 pick Michael Misa has the talent to hit the ice this season. The Sharks also signed veterans Dmitry Orlov and John Klingberg to add some experience to a defense that was lacking in that regard.
Pre-playoff ranking: 31
Stanley Cup odds: +50000
Perhaps the biggest move yet to be made by Chicago this summer is a contract extension for franchise center Connor Bedard, who will be a restricted free agent next summer. Other than that, GM Kyle Davidson appeared mostly content with letting his young roster develop, making no major additions.
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