The Stanley Cup Final series between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers is just days away, and the predictions are starting to roll in.
This will be one of the more interesting finals for the NHL in quite some time. The Oilers will be looking to return the Stanley Cup to Canada for the first time since 1993 on the back of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, while the Panthers are looking to avenge a loss in the finals last season.
There is no underdog story this time around, which makes the outcome a lot harder to predict.
The brave writers who form the Daily Hive Offside team have come together to make their predictions as to who will win the Stanley Cup, how many games it will take, and who will be crowned playoff MVP.
Rob Williams, Offside editor
Stanley Cup winner: Panthers in seven
Conn Smythe pick: Connor McDavid
Why:
The Stanley Cup will come agonizingly close to returning to Canada but will instead head further south than ever before. And yes, this will be a rare year where the Conn Smythe Trophy winner comes from the losing side.
Edmonton has Florida beat with their top-end talent, but the Panthers are a bad matchup for the Oilers. The Panthers are deeper and swept the season series.
Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl are playing at another level from the rest of the league right now, but Florida seems about as well-suited as anyone to go head-to-head against them. Their top two lines are talented and physical and can make you pay at the offensive end while remaining defensively responsible.
Then there’s the fact that Florida has been here before, making the Stanley Cup Final last season. They know what to expect.
Noah Strang, Daily Hive Vancouver
Stanley Cup winner: Panthers in six
Conn Smythe pick: Aleksander Barkov
Why:
While I think this will be a great series, I see the Panthers lifting the Stanley Cup in six at the end of the day. The experience of being in the Final before and their depth throughout the lineup is too much for the Oilers to overcome, in my eyes.
While I’m sure the Oilers will have at least one game where they explode for five goals, the Panthers have the goaltending and the defence to keep things low-scoring enough to emerge with the win.
Colton Pankiw, Daily Hive Calgary
Stanley Cup winner: Oilers in six
Conn Smythe pick: Connor McDavid
Why:
I think the Oilers’ blue line is much better than it’s getting credit for, arguably better than the Panthers as a whole. The Oilers have the edge up front with Leon/Connor and some great “secondary” scoring pieces in RNH/Hyman.
The one area I think the Panthers exceed them in is goaltending, but Skinner has looked really good ever since sitting a few games against Vancouver. If he can continue what he did throughout the Stars series, I like the Oilers’ chances. Especially with PP/PK being as good as they have been.
Preston Hodgkinson, Daily Hive Edmonton
Stanley Cup winner: Oilers in six
Conn Smythe pick: Connor McDavid
Why:
It seems like the Panthers are the popular pick for a lot of people, but those who are completely writing off the Oilers in this series haven’t been paying attention.
Edmonton has found a way to completely remake their game and is beating teams differently on a nightly basis. They have a better offence than any other team in the league with Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and Evan Bouchard leading the charge. The secondary scoring of Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is buzzing and the defence is limiting Grade-A chances against.
Stuart Skinner will have to find some consistency, but he’s proven he can be relied on in big moments this playoff run. McDavid won’t be denied a cup now that he has come this far.
Adam Laskaris, Daily Hive Toronto
Stanley Cup winner: Oilers in six
Conn Smythe pick: Connor McDavid
Why:
Making the Stanley Cup Final is one of the most challenging things to do in sports, and I think Connor McDavid knows it. There’s no guarantee you’ll ever make it back to this stage, and that’s why the best player in hockey will give his best performance, and maybe a little extra, on this stage.
While you can’t necessarily win a game or even a series by yourself, the Oilers’ captain might as well try.
Al Sciola, Daily Hive Montreal
Stanley Cup winner: Oilers in six
Conn Smythe pick: Leon Draisaitl
Why:
Sure, defence wins championships, but I don’t see the Florida Panthers fighting off Edmonton’s array of firepower and coming out on top after three rounds of hard-fought hockey. With that said, the Oilers need a lot more shots on net this time around.