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Mattias Janmark, Edmonton Oilers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Oilers’ Top 5 Unlikely Heroes From Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2025 Playoffs

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Brian Swane | Last updated May 18, 2025 9:55 AM ET

After eliminating the Los Angeles Kings in the first round and knocking off the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers have advanced to the Western Conference Final, where they will face off against the Dallas Stars.

With eight wins in its last nine games, Edmonton is the hottest team in hockey, despite the fact that the Oilers’ biggest stars have cooled off.

Edmonton’s top three scorers during the 2024-25 regular season are all averaging significantly fewer goals per game in the 2025 Playoffs: Leon Draisaitl has fallen from 0.73 to 0.45, Connor McDavid has declined from 0.39 to 0.27 and Zach Hyman has dropped from 0.37 to 0.27.

Even more surprising has been their limited contributions to Edmonton’s success, with the aforementioned trio combining to score just six goals total in the eight games won by the Oilers this postseason.

Suffice it to say, the Oilers’ supporting cast is the biggest reason that they are now just one series from reaching the Stanley Cup Final for a second consecutive year. But it’s not only the likes of Evan Bouchard, Evander Kane, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, players who are expected to produce at an above-average level, that have stepped up. It’s been third- and fourth-liners, too. Seemingly, someone different has risen to the occasion every game.

Here’s a look at the Edmonton skaters who have been the most unlikely heroes through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

5. Mattias Janmark

Veteran winger Mattias Janmark has already notched as many goals in the 2025 postseason as during the entire 2024-25 season: two. His playoff tallies are certainly more impressive than his regular-season goals, one of which was scored into an empty net and the other coming on a lucky bounce off his backside.

He potted the winning goal of Edmonton’s 3-1 victory over Los Angeles in Game 5 of the first round, breaking a 1-1 tie when he buried a rebound behind Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper with 12:48 remaining in the third period.

This postseason elevation is becoming a trademark of Janmark, who also equalled his 2023-24 regular-season goal total of four in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

4. Adam Henrique

Adam Henrique has been quiet for most of the playoffs, with only three goals, but two of them came in a span of less than 12 minutes, at 1:27 and 13:03 of the first period, to jumpstart Edmonton’s 3-0 victory over the Golden Knights in Game 4 of Round 2.

When the Oilers acquired Henrique via trade with the Anaheim Ducks last season, they did so for moments like this. Henrique has extensive playoff experience, dating back to his first season in the NHL, when he reached the 2012 Stanley Cup Final as a member of the New Jersey Devils.

The 2012 postseason was also the last time that Henrique potted more than one goal in a playoff game. By scoring twice in Game 4 against Vegas, the veteran forward set a new benchmark for the longest span between multi-goal games in Stanley Cup Playoff history, at 13 years and 16 days.

3. Connor Brown

Connor Brown had a big impact during the first round against the Kings, scoring three times in six games. He had a career playoff high of two goals in Game 3, as Edmonton began its rally from a 2-0 series deficit that has since progressed into the Oilers’ current run of eight wins in nine games.

The 31-year-old forward also scored in Game 1 against Vegas, giving him a total of four goals in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which is already more than he had in his entire NHL Playoffs career prior to this spring.

Brown has also surpassed his total of six points from the entire 2024 Playoffs. He’s already up to seven points this postseason, all of which have come up at even strength.

2. Kasperi Kapanen

Kasperi Kapanen, who had been a healthy scratch for Edmonton’s first nine playoff games, made his presence felt immediately when he drew into the lineup for Game 4 against Vegas, doling out five hits in 14:21 of ice time.

Then in Game 5, the 28-year-old forward scored Edmonton’s biggest goal of 2025 yet. Just over seven minutes into overtime of a scoreless game, Kapanen found the puck on a wild scramble in front of Vegas netminder Adin Hill and put it in the back of net, lifting Edmonton to victory in both the game and series. His clutch tally was just the seventh series-clinching goal scored during overtime in franchise history.

In only two playoff games, Kapanen has racked up eight shots, eight hits, and is a plus-1, surely securing his spot in the lineup for Game 1 against Dallas.

1. Corey Perry

Around this time last year, during Edmonton’s run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Corey Perry was finding himself a healthy scratch. Twelve months later, he shares the team lead for most goals in the 2025 Playoffs.

Corey Perry of the Edmonton Oilers screens goaltender Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights in the second period of Game Three of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Perry has lit the lamp five times thus far, scoring twice against the Kings and thrice against Vegas. In Game 3 of Round 2, the veteran forward tallied at 7:19 and 11:12 of the opening frame, making him the third-oldest player (at 39 years and 359 days) in Stanley Cup Playoffs history with a multi-goal period.

The remarkable play of Perry, who turned 40 on Friday (May 16), continues his incredible renaissance. During the 2024-25 regular season, Perry scored 19 goals, which was fifth-most on the Oilers and tied for his most in a single season since 2015-16.

Perry’s plus/minus of plus-6 is the fourth highest on the Oilers this postseason. He also ranked fourth on the team during the regular season with a rating of plus-12.

The Western Conference Final gets underway with Game 1 at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, May 21. The Oilers hope their stars can return to form. That, coupled with continued secondary scoring, will make Edmonton very difficult to defeat.