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Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers needed a win in Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. Unfortunately, they did not get it. Edmonton mustered just one goal while Evander Kane received an ejection from the game in the third period. In the end, the Florida Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions. And now Edmonton is left to pick up the pieces.
Edmonton has some major decisions to make over the next year. McDavid is a free agent in the summer of 2026. It's reasonable to believe that competing for the Stanley Cup is the utmost priority for him. Meanwhile, young defenseman Evan Bouchard is a restricted free agent this summer. Losing him would mean losing a major source of offensive depth.
All of that can wait until the offseason truly gets going. For now, let's take a bird's eye view of this Final against the Panthers. Here are the Oilers players who shoulder the most blame for losing to Florida for the second consecutive year.
Evander Kane needed to step up
The Oilers lost Zach Hyman to injury in the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Stars. This created a hole in the top six that desperately needed to be filled. Kane was one Oilers player who needed to step up in his absence. In the end, he didn't.
Kane was a driving force behind Edmonton's Game 3 breakdown. He was one of the players taking shots at the Panthers, racking up 16 of Edmonton's 85 penalty minutes in that contest. As mentioned, he also got himself ejected in the third period on Tuesday night. And Kane did not participate in the handshake line after the Game 6 loss.
Beyond all of that, he made little difference offensively. Kane scored just one goal in the Stanley Cup Final against the Panthers. Edmonton needed more from him, and he did not provide it. He is not the sole reason the Oilers lost, but he certainly played a role.
Oilers' Stuart Skinner imploded at the worst time
Edmonton felt confident heading into the Stanley Cup Final thanks to Stuart Skinner. He was lights out against the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars, barring four total periods. His form, combined with his track record in closeout games, made the Oilers believe they could win it all.
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There were signs to this affect early in the series. He had slow starts in Games 1 and 2, but locked in to give the Oilers a chance. Game 3 wasn't as much his fault as it was the team ahead of him losing its cool. If he continued playing well in Game 4, Edmonton could pull this off.
Unfortunately, this did not happen. Skinner was pulled from Game 4 and did not play in Game 5. The Oilers turned to him again in Game 6, but he could not keep the Panthers at bay. It was the worst time for him to revert to the form Edmonton fans loathe. And it played a significant role in their series loss.
Connor McDavid was mostly a non-factor
Connor McDavid is the most talented player in the NHL. And he showed last year that he can elevate his game when it matters most. Unfortunately, he did not have the same gear about him in 2025. This showed most in the Stanley Cup Final against the Panthers.
McDavid did score seven points in six games against the Panthers. However, only one of these points was a goal. He scored in Edmonton's Game 5 loss on home ice. This goal made it 3-1 in the third period, but it was made essentially irrelevant in the end.
We know McDavid has the ability to take over games. He can even take over an entire series. For instance, he scored 11 points in five games against the Los Angeles Kings in round one last year. In last year's Final, he scored three goals and eight points in Games 4 and 5 alone.
Unfortunately, he did not raise his game to meet the moment this year. McDavid remains the face of the Oilers franchise. It just did not work out for him this year. With his contract nearing its completion, McDavid's situation is something to monitor for Edmonton fans this summer.
