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Not many National Hockey League executives gave the Edmonton Oilers a chance against the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final — but that is not the case a year later.
The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun polled 33 coaches and executives last June, with only four of them picking the Oilers to win the series. This time around, it's nearly equal, but Edmonton has the slight edge.
“One year later, nothing one-sided here,” wrote LeBrun on Tuesday. “The coaches were 11-11, and the team execs went 10-8 for Edmonton, swinging on that one last head-versus-heart pick. So a very close poll ended up 21-19 for the Oilers to win Canada’s first Stanley Cup since 1993.”
The last time a Canadian team won Lord Stanley was 32 years ago, when the Montreal Canadiens went on a thrilling run en route to capturing the franchise's 24th championship.
In 2025, as LeBrun reports, coaches and executives cited two major themes: “Bobrovsky being the better goalie in the series, and the loss of Zach Hyman for the Oilers.”
“The Edmonton picks basically come down to McDavid and Draisaitl being on a mission and not being denied,” wrote the hockey insider. “It’s not very scientific as a reason to pick the Oilers, but like Crosby in ’09 and Alex Ovechkin in ’18, there is some truth to a superstar willing himself to his first career Stanley Cup championship.”
It's clear that, although the Oilers weren't really given a chance last year, that is not at all the case as McDavid and Draisaitl look to get some revenge in 2025. Edmonton looks like a much deeper roster than it did in 2024, and Stuart Skinner has been absolutely terrific since the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights.
“A year ago, this poll was a one-sided Florida pick. This time, it’s nearly a coin flip with a slight edge to the Oilers,” finished LeBrun. “I actually think this Panthers team is better and deeper than last year’s Cup champion roster. But the Oilers are indeed at another level. Does having Game 7 at home in Edmonton make a difference this time around for the Oilers? We shall see.”
Will history repeat itself in 2025?
If history repeats itself — at least as it has in the last two Stanley Cup Final rematches — then the Oilers will win their first title since 1990. After the New York Islanders defeated the Oilers to win their fourth straight championship back in 1983, Edmonton won the rematch the next year.
And after the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008, it was the Pens who came out on top in their rematch in a seven-game thriller in 2009.
One thing is for sure: this is going to be an incredible Stanley Cup Final between an Eastern Conference dynasty and a Western Conference juggernaut that is desperate to win a title in the prime of two of the best players in the sport.
It all gets underway at Rogers Place in Alberta on Wednesday night, with puck set to drop just past 8:00 p.m. ET.
