The 2025 Stanley Cup Final features a rematch of the previous year`s championship series, marking only the fifth time this has occurred in the NHL`s expansion era, which began in 1967-68. Last postseason, the Florida Panthers secured their first championship in franchise history by defeating the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. This time around, Edmonton holds the home-ice advantage and will host Florida for Game 1 on Wednesday.
This is the first instance of the same teams competing for the championship in consecutive years since the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins met in 2008 and 2009. In that prior case, Detroit won the first matchup, but Pittsburgh claimed victory the following season. Historical back-to-back rematches also include the Montreal Canadiens versus the St. Louis Blues (1968-69) and the Boston Bruins (1977-78), as well as the New York Islanders against Edmonton (1983-84), where the Islanders won in `83 but lost in `84.
Both Florida and Edmonton advanced to the Final by winning their conference final series in five games. The Panthers eliminated the Carolina Hurricanes, while the Oilers once again defeated the Dallas Stars. In the 2024 Final, Florida nearly lost a 3-0 series lead. During this past regular season, the Panthers won both of their one-goal games against Edmonton.
The Panthers are the ninth franchise in NHL history to reach three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, the fourth since the playoffs expanded to 16 teams in 1980, and only the second in the past 40 years. They also represent the sixth straight Finalist from Florida, following the Tampa Bay Lightning`s three straight appearances from 2020 to 2022.
This marks Florida`s fourth overall appearance in the Final, while it is Edmonton`s ninth. The Oilers are making back-to-back trips for the third time in their history, the first since winning the Cup in both 1987 and 1988.
Despite his Oilers falling short last year, Connor McDavid became the sixth player in playoff history to earn the Conn Smythe Trophy as a member of the losing team. The three-time Hart Trophy winner led the league with 42 points in that postseason, joining an exclusive group that includes Roger Crozier (1968, Red Wings), Glenn Hall (1968, Blues), Reggie Leach (1976, Flyers), Ron Hextall (1987, Flyers), and Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2003, Mighty Ducks).
Entering the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, McDavid is the current scoring leader with 26 points through 16 games, closely followed by teammate Leon Draisaitl with 25. Aleksander Barkov, the Panthers` captain, leads his team with 17 points in the same number of contests.
In net, Sergei Bobrovsky for Florida has maintained a 2.11 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage, while Edmonton`s Stuart Skinner holds a 2.53 GAA and a .904 SP. Both goaltenders are tied with three shutouts each this postseason.
Despite losing last year, Edmonton is favored to win the Stanley Cup with odds typically around -120 at most sportsbooks. The Panthers are positioned as underdogs, with odds around +100. For the Conn Smythe Trophy, McDavid is the favorite, with his odds generally ranging from -110 to +110 across major sportsbooks.
Here are predictions for the 2025 Stanley Cup winner and the best bets for the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Stanley Cup Champion
Edmonton Oilers (-120)
Heading into the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, expectations for the Oilers were modest. The last team to return to the Final after losing the previous year was the 2009 Penguins. However, Edmonton has defied expectations at every stage this postseason, overcoming the Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, and Dallas Stars. After dropping the first two games of their first-round series against the Kings, the Oilers have posted a 12-2 record, navigating changes in their goaltending situation.
They have consistently found the back of the net, scoring at least three goals in all but two of their 16 playoff games and four or more on nine occasions. Defensively, they have allowed fewer than three goals in seven of their last 12 games. Although missing top scorer Zach Hyman due to an upper-body injury, Edmonton has received offensive contributions from numerous role players. Key defenseman Mattias Ekholm returned for Game 5 of the Western Conference Final, and Stuart Skinner has provided stellar goaltending, allowing just two total goals across his first five wins this postseason before giving up three in the series-clinching game against Dallas.
McDavid and the Oilers came agonizingly close in last year`s Final, forcing a Game 7, which they lost 2-1, after trailing the series 3-0. They appear driven to capture the Cup for the first time since 1990.
Best Bets for Conn Smythe Trophy
Connor McDavid, Oilers (+110)
While reaching his point total from last postseason is improbable, if McDavid can replicate his conference final performance, he is strongly positioned to become the seventh player in NHL history to win multiple Conn Smythe Trophies. He would join Bernie Parent (1974-75), Mario Lemieux (1991-92), and Sidney Crosby (2016-17) as the only players to earn the award in back-to-back years.
In the five-game victory over the Stars, McDavid registered four two-point efforts, bringing his postseason total to a league-high nine such games. The 28-year-old captain has been held without a point in only two of Edmonton`s 16 playoff contests and just once in his last 14 games. In last year`s Final against the Panthers, he had two four-point games and finished the series with three goals and 11 assists. Unless Florida manages to shut him down without a point three times again, as they did in 2024, McDavid is a strong candidate to add another award to his collection.
Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers (+260)
Many believed Bobrovsky deserved the Conn Smythe last year after recording a 2.32 GAA and .906 save percentage. The Russian netminder effectively contained Edmonton`s high-powered offense in the Final, holding them to fewer than two goals three times and posting one of his two shutouts from the 2024 postseason during the series.
Bobrovsky has been excellent in these playoffs, particularly after allowing four or more goals in Florida`s first three second-round games against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since then, he yielded two or fewer goals in eight consecutive contests before allowing three in the series-clinching Game 5 against the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. It would be difficult to overlook Bobrovsky for the award for a second consecutive year if he maintains this strong play against the Oilers and leads the Panthers to another championship.
