Out of the sixteen teams that entered the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs field, the competition has now been narrowed down to the final two contenders. For the second consecutive year, the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers are set to clash in the Stanley Cup Final.
Will the Oilers succeed in their quest and hoist the Cup for the first time since 1990? Or will the Panthers secure a repeat victory, potentially marking the beginning of a new dynasty in the Sunshine State?
Members of ESPN`s hockey analysis team have considered both possible outcomes and have shared their predictions for the series winner.
Stanley Cup Final Matchup
Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers
Expert Predictions
Sean Allen: Panthers in six
Blake Bolden: Oilers in seven
John Buccigross: Oilers in seven
Ryan Callahan: Oilers in six
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Oilers in seven
Sachin Chandan: Oilers in six
Meghan Chayka: Oilers in seven
Ryan S. Clark: Oilers in seven
Rachel Doerrie: Panthers in six
Emily Kaplan: Oilers in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Oilers in six
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Panthers in six
Steve Levy: Oilers in seven
Vince Masi: Oilers in five
Victoria Matiash: Panthers in seven
Sean McDonough: Oilers in seven
Mark Messier: Oilers in seven
AJ Mleczko: Panthers in six
Arda Öcal: Oilers in six
Kristen Shilton: Panthers in seven
John Thoering: Panthers in seven
Bob Wischusen: Panthers in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Panthers in six
Consensus pick: The Oilers are favored, chosen by 14 out of the 23 analysts.
Gareth Tenby