10 key players who could change everything in the Panthers vs. Oilers Final

Panthers vs. Oilers 2.0. In 2024, the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers to capture the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. But Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are on a mission of their own, determined to win the first championship of their NHL careers. Here are 10 players - on both sides - who could be game-changers in the series.

Connor McDavid is an obvious pick—that's why he's not on this list. But if Leon Draisaitl can be as dominant as he's capable of being, the Oilers will have a real shot at winning. He has the talent to take over a game—and even an entire series—on his own. However, he wasn’t able to do that in 2024, despite McDavid also playing at a high level. Is this the year he finally breaks through?

Ah, Darnell Nurse… the guy who takes a ton of heat from fans in Edmonton, yet still stands as the defensive cornerstone of this team—especially in the absence of Mattias Ekholm on the blue line. If Nurse can steady the Oilers’ back end by playing tough, reliable defensive hockey, it could shift the momentum in Edmonton’s favor. But if he starts making mistakes in his own zone—as we've seen from him before—it could make things a lot more difficult for the Oilers.

We all know the issue with Stuart Skinner: he can be really good… but he can also struggle badly when the pressure’s on. Which version of him will we see in this year’s Final? He held his own fairly well in 2024, helping push the series to the limit in seven games. But if the Oilers truly want to win it all, they’re going to need Skinner to be sharp—and at his best—between the pipes.

Corey Perry is 40 years old. Forty! And yet, despite his age, he remains a crucial piece of the Edmonton Oilers lineup. He brings leadership, experience, and he’s already scored seven goals in just 16 playoff games this year. Perry is the heart and soul of this Oilers team. This is his fifth Final appearance in six years, and he has to be hoping that this time is the one—that he finally gets to lift the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2007.

Now let’s talk about the Panthers. Anton Lundell plays behind Aleksander Barkov—who’s elite in his own right—but Lundell has developed into one of the better two-way players in the NHL. Much like Nugent-Hopkins, he operates in the shadow of stars like Barkov, Tkachuk, and Reinhart. But he shouldn’t be overlooked as a key contributor for Florida. If he plays at a high level in the series against the Oilers, he could very well shift the balance in the Panthers’ favor.

Obviously, we have to talk about Sergei Bobrovsky. Just like Skinner, if he plays at an elite level and shuts down Edmonton’s stars, the Panthers are likely to win their second straight Stanley Cup. And the truth is, Bob has the talent to win a series on his own. We’ve seen him do it before—he’s one of the best goaltenders of his generation. The Panthers will be counting on him once again to give them the best possible shot at going all the way.

Seth Jones was acquired by the Panthers last March, just days before the NHL trade deadline. Initially, some thought it might be a bad move since he seemed to have slowed down in Chicago. But… Jones is exactly what the Panthers need right now: he shuts down the opposition’s best players, plays a crucial role on Florida’s top-four defense, and can even chip in offensively when needed. Aaron Ekblad is the Panthers’ top defenseman, but Jones has the ability to step up and be that kind of player on certain nights as well.

This guy — we know he plays with so much intensity and fire, night after night. That’s exactly what makes him such a valuable player in the playoffs. He’s annoying to opponents, he hits hard, and he scores goals… Sam Bennett does absolutely everything on the ice. The best part? He’s able to elevate his game when it really matters most. Bennett will likely test free agency on July 1st, and if he has a big Final series against the Oilers, it’ll only give him more leverage to land a big contract.

The key player in this series is Matthew Tkachuk. He has all the tools to change the series on his own: he can score big goals, deliver punishing hits, and drop the gloves to shift the momentum of a game. Matthew Tkachuk is a special player—we’ve seen it before. Players who put up 90–100 points a season and bring that kind of intensity are rare. If he plays his best hockey in the Final, the Oilers will struggle to contain him.