Five intriguing storylines for 2025 Stanley Cup Final

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers opens on Wednesday night in Edmonton. To help get you ready for the series, here are five of the top storylines as it approaches.

1. New year, same teams

This is the second year in a row that the Panthers and Oilers have met in the Stanley Cup Final, making it the fifth time in the post-expansion era (since 1967) that the same two teams have met in the final in back-to-back years.

The rundown of the previous four:

• 1967-68 and 1968-69: Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues. Montreal won both championships against an expansion Blues team. 
• 1976-77 and 1977-78: Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins. The Canadiens won both series as part of their 1970s dynasty that saw them put one of the most dominant teams in league history on the ice. 
• 1982-83 and 1983-84: New York Islanders vs. Edmonton Oilers. The Islanders, the dominant dynasty of the early 80s, won the first series to complete their four-peat. The Oilers came back the following season to win their first championship and kick off their late 80s dynasty
• 2007-08 and 2008-09: Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins. The Red Wings won the first series in six games, only to lose their quest for back-to-back championships the following year. It was extra satisfying for Pittsburgh as it not only defeated the Red Wings, but also Marian Hossa after he left them for Detroit in free agency.

2. Connor McDavid's quest to get his name on the Cup

McDavid continues to establish himself as not only one of the best players of his era, but also of all time. The only thing he needs to cement his status in the latter group is a championship. He gets another chance this season. Along with his quest for a Cup, he is also in line to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for the second straight season. He won it last year in a losing effort. While his point total is not as dominant as it was in last year's playoffs, he still enters the playoffs leading the league in postseason scoring. 

3. Florida's possible mini-dynasty

The run the Panthers have been on over the past four seasons is truly remarkable. 

During the 2021-22 season, they won the Presidents' Trophy with the league's best record.

After losing in the second round, they came back the next season and won the Eastern Conference (before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final).

They bounced back from that in 2023-24 and not only returned to the Stanley Cup Final, but also won it.

Now they are back for their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final and a chance to repeat. That is as good of a four-year run as any team has had in the salary cap era. 

4. Stuart Skinner's redemption

Goaltending has been Edmonton's biggest question mark for a few years now, and that was again the case this season with Stuart Skinner having an up-and-down regular season. Then he lost his starting job early in the playoffs, allowing 15 goals in his first three starts (all losses), losing his starting job. But after regaining his starting job due to an injury to Calvin Pickard, Skinner has allowed just 10 goals in his next seven starts, going 6-1 in the process. He might be a sleeper Conn Smythe contender at this pace.

5. Canada looks to end its Stanley Cup drought

It has been 32 years since one of the NHL's Canadian franchises lifted the Stanley Cup, with the 1992-93 Canadiens being the most recent team to do it. The Oilers are the latest team to try and snap that streak. There have been six Canadian franchises to lose in the Stanley Cup Final since then, including Edmonton on two different occasions (2006 and 2024).