5 Stanley Cup Final Matchups to Root For in 2025

At this point in the season, the Stanley Cup Final might be far from everyone’s mind. That said, it’s also a good time to consider some possible matchups we might see in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

This season, many middle-of-the-pack teams are good enough to make the playoffs but won’t make a Cup run, at least not based on their play. Then there are the contenders who are poised for a deep run. Here are some potential matchups that would be fun to watch.

Oilers vs Panthers

The NHL needs a rematch of last year’s Final. The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers met in a seven-game series, with the Panthers coming out on top. This season, both teams are again the ones to beat. The league hasn’t seen a Final rematch since 2008 and 2009 – when the Pittsburgh Penguins evened up the score against the Detroit Red Wings.

The Panthers are still the top team in the Eastern Conference. Led by a forward unit that can run up the score, defend, and play either a fast or physical game. Defense is an issue, but goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has proven time and again that if the Panthers need him to shut down an opponent, he can do just that.

The Oilers are the same in the West. They are led by star power, but since head coach Kris Knoblauch was hired early in the 2023-24 season, they’ve proven they are more than just Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. They play with structure and discipline to win in multiple ways, and they have the depth to go all the way. There are some great teams in the Central Division – and the Vegas Golden Knights are giving the Oilers a run for their money in the Pacific Division – but the Western Conference still runs through them.

Will the Panthers become the next NHL dynasty? They made the Final in back-to-back seasons before they won it all last season, and they could do it again. Or will the Oilers get their revenge and bring the Cup back to Canada? Both storylines will be worth following if these teams make the Final again.

Jets vs Senators

If these teams meet, every game of the Final could be 2-1 or 1-0. While fans who like scoring might not love this matchup, it would be a great all-Canadian series that guarantees the Cup returns to the country for the first time in three decades. The Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets also have a lot working in their favor this season.

The Senators are in third place in the Atlantic Division, winning games with great defense and better goaltending. Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, and Nick Jensen have anchored the blue line, while Linus Ullmark has provided elite play in net. Ullmark has battled an injury the past few weeks, but Leevi Merinainen has stepped up and been lights out. The team struggles to score, but assuming they make a move at the trade deadline, they are still set up to go on a run.

The Jets, meanwhile, have played well across the board all season. They went 15-1-0 before cooling off a bit, but they remain the best team in the Central Division and are poised for a Cup run. Like the Senators, they are led by a great defense, except they have Connor Hellebuyck in net, a goaltender poised to win the Vezina Trophy for the second season in a row and possibly earn some Hart Trophy votes. On top of that, their offense has been incredible – with their star power and depth making the forward unit one of the best in the league.

A Jets-Senators matchup won’t have a lot of highlight-reel goals per se, but it will have plenty of goaltending duels and close games. It’s not the best matchup that comes to mind, but if these two teams meet, it would be a fun one.

Avalanche vs Hurricanes

How wild would it be if these teams met? The Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes made arguably the biggest midseason trade in league history when Mikko Rantanen was traded for Martin Necas and Jack Drury. The blockbuster deal will benefit both teams and set them up for a Cup run.

The Avalanche needed to move Rantanen. It sounds absurd to trade a superstar, but their roster was too top-heavy, and they needed depth. The trade gave them a star in Necas, who can play on the top or second line and multiple positions, while they also added a depth scorer in Drury. The Avalanche still have the star power to lead them, but for the first time since they won the title in 2022, they have depth as well.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, needed Rantanen to get them over the hump. The team checks all the boxes of a Cup contender, but they needed a power forward in the top six who could do it all. By adding Rantanen, they suddenly have all the pieces in place to win the Eastern Conference, and what better way for them to win the Cup than to face the team they made the big trade with to get them there? Regardless of which team won this matchup, an elite talent would get their revenge and prove to their former team that they made a mistake trading them.

Hurricanes vs Stars

The Hurricanes and Dallas Stars have established themselves as model franchises in recent seasons, but both teams have struggled to get over the hump. They are well-run franchises from the top down with veterans to round out the roster and who have drafted and developed well to provide a steady pipeline of star power.

A matchup between these teams would put underrated stars in the spotlight and have audiences focusing on some of the great young skaters on the rise. Sebastian Aho and Jason Robertson never receive enough recognition for their great play, while Seth Jarvis and Wyatt Johnston are two young scorers that fans don’t talk enough about. A subplot to this matchup would be a reminder that hockey works in non-traditional southern markets, which the Hurricanes and Stars have proven in recent seasons.

Maple Leafs vs Oilers

This might be the all-Canadian matchup that first comes to mind for most people. The Toronto Maple Leafs against the Oilers would have Auston Matthews going up against McDavid, William Nylander against Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman against his former team.

However, this wouldn’t just be a matchup of stars but two complete teams squaring off in the Final. The Maple Leafs, with the help of new head coach Craig Berube, are winning with great defense, and they are playing a style of hockey that can win in the playoffs. The Oilers, meanwhile, are a complete team in their own right and proved last season they can make a deep playoff run. This matchup would not only be a fun one, but it would be historic, as the Maple Leafs could snap the longest title drought in league history while the Oilers could recapture the glory days of the 1980s.

Other Fun Stanley Cup Final Matchups

The Columbus Blue Jackets are having a great season, and people are rallying behind them. If they make the playoffs, it would be the story of the season, but imagine if they made a Cup run. Better yet, imagine if they played the Minnesota Wild, a team that has never appeared in the Final and was coached by Dean Evason, the Blue Jackets’ head coach.

The New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals are having great seasons and will be in the mix come playoff time. It would be fun for either of them if they faced the Stars or Oilers. Better yet, the Capitals playing the Oilers would have Alexander Ovechkin against McDavid, two of the greatest to ever play the game. Fans remember the joy Ovechkin had when he hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2018, a moment that was years in the making, and it would be great to see McDavid have the same moment.

Is there a Stanley Cup Final matchup you would like to see this season? Let us know in the comments section below.