The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers meet again in the Stanley Cup Final. It’s the first rematch in the championship series in over 15 years, and it’s bound to entertain.
Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Hub
After taking a 3–0 series lead in 2024, the Panthers did the unthinkable by letting the Oilers force a Game 7. In Florida’s barn, with everything on the line, the Panthers were victorious in a 2–1 nail-biter to bring Lord Stanley to Sunrise for the first time.
This series, beyond being a rematch, is pretty unique. It’s a display of two entirely different team-building philosophies, battling to see which one is superior. The Panthers and Oilers are polar opposites, but amazingly, equally dominant. Let’s discuss how they’ve built their teams, and whether they’ve improved since the last time they met on this stage.
Panthers’ Philosophy: Stars for Days
The Panthers’ philosophy is reminiscent of the 2002 Detroit Red Wings: accumulate as many stars as possible. The only difference is that this Florida team has a spending limit—they’ve defied expectations for how “stacked” a cap-era roster can be.
While they have top-to-bottom talent, the Panthers are primarily led by three superstars: Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sam Reinhart. When they’re hot, this team is almost impossible to stop.
Barkov has basically unmatched two-way capabilities—that much is well-established. But it’s his offensive game that can really take over a series. He’s one of the most lethal playmaking threats in the NHL and wins a significant portion of puck battles. Reinhart, his partner in crime, is arguably the best two-way winger in the sport. He differs from Barkov in that he’s a major shooting threat. Though he’s only found twine four times in these playoffs, nobody has done so more than he has since the 2023–24 regular season began (110 goals, including the postseason).
Tkachuk does a lot of his own play-driving on the second line, if health permits it. He’s not fast or overly athletic, but he’s one of the most intelligent playmakers in the NHL. Coupled with a…
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