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May 29, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) pose with the trophy after winning the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

What a Stanley Cup Would Mean for the Oilers & Connor McDavid

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Dale Bochon | Last updated May 31, 2025 8:55 AM ET

I’m a fan of great players in hockey and in all sports, and I always enjoy seeing when they reach their goal of winning a championship. This is especially true for Connor McDavid in the spring of 2025. It’s hard to put my finger on it, but it just feels like it’s his time, and it might be his best chance to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a Stanley Cup. But like so many great things in life, it won’t come easy. The Florida Panthers are a formidable foe, maybe even better than last season, when they won their first Stanley Cup.

McDavid and the Oilers Are Better Prepared in 2025

The Oilers captain and his teammates have had this series circled on their calendars since Monday, June 24, 2024. That was the date when they ran out of steam and lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Panthers by one goal.

Everything McDavid and the Oilers have done since last June has led them to where they are now. Whether that was game management at the end of the 2024-25 season when McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Stuart Skinner and other key Oilers were not forced back into the lineup quickly from injury, and instead took the proper time to heal and rest, or putting together a commitment to defence knowing that this is what wins championships. You could even say the Oilers have become a true team by getting buy-in from everyone to do whatever it takes to win — even if it means sacrificing individual accomplishments and awards.

4 Nations Face-Off Experience Could Help McDavid In Stanley Cup Final

One of the biggest benefits McDavid got from playing in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February was the experience of playing with his childhood idol, Sidney Crosby. When McDavid scored the winning goal for Team Canada over Team USA in the Final, it helped reinforce his confidence that he could come through in the big moment.

He’ll have that experience in the back of his mind as he and his teammates head into the Stanley Cup Final against Florida, it’s a knowing that he can come through in the clutch when his team needs him the most. This is a quality that Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Crosby and Bobby Orr all had. And it’s something McDavid possesses.

McDavid and Oilers Finding Their Stride At the Right Time of the Year

The 2024-25 season was a true rollercoaster ride for the Oilers and their fans. McDavid, who is always at or near the top of the NHL scoring leaders, was injured in late October in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets and injured again on March 20 against the Winnipeg Jets. Both injuries took him out of the running for the Art Ross Trophy, but the time off – especially in March and April – helped him rest and recover and return to his old MVP form in the Oilers’ first round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings.

In fact, the whole team seemed a bit scattered when the playoffs arrived, and didn’t find their stride until the third game of the series with the Kings when Evan Bouchard scored a game-winning power-play goal after a coach’s challenge by Kings head coach Jim Hiller backfired late in the game. It seems that sequence of events helped galvanize McDavid and the Oilers, and they never looked back, beating the Kings in six games, then taking care of the Vegas Golden Knights in five games in the second round and finally the Dallas Stars in five games in the Western Conference Final.

McDavid and Oilers Will Have Their Work Cut Out for Them

This feels like a McDavid vs. Goliath type of Stanley Cup Final, as the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers are deeper than last season with the additions of Seth Jones and Brad Marchand. But Florida has not faced a team like the Oilers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the offensive skill of McDavid, Draisaitl, Bouchard and a well-rounded group of players that have all contributed in both the offensive and defensive ends so far in the spring of 2025. The Panthers’ quest for two in a row could be halted by an Oilers team with high skill and the desire and focus to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993.

If McDavid is fortunate enough to lead the Oilers to the Stanley Cup this season, he will cement himself as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. He’s already one of the best players to ever play the game, but winning a championship takes you to a whole new level – and that’s what McDavid is after. I’ve enjoyed watching players such as Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Steve Yzerman and Shohei Ohtani win championships in their respective sports, even though I’m not always a fan of their teams. Having McDavid join this group would be sweet not only for McDavid but also for the Oilers and their fans. This could be the year.