FRANK SERAVALLI (Oilers in 7): Wayne Gretzky. Sidney Crosby. Next up: Connor McDavid. All three fell short in their first Stanley Cup Final. The first two have won multiple since and weren’t going to squander a second opportunity. The Oilers feel inevitable – at some point, it’s going to happen, a matter of when and not if. They were my preseason Stanley Cup pick, but with the benefit of hindsight, it feels odd that they weren’t a trendy pick at the start of the playoffs. I shied away previously because they were their own worst enemy, they repeatedly gift-wrapped goals. Last year, they gift wrapped the start of the series to Florida. The Panthers are the real deal. They’re ferocious and deep and have a true killer’s instinct. But Edmonton hasn’t gift-wrapped anything since Game 2 against Los Angeles. They’ve been a dominant 12-2 since then. Their quality of competition has been better than Florida’s. Canada’s Stanley Cup drought ends here.
STEVEN ELLIS (Panthers in 6): Some might point to their experience, but let’s not forget the Oilers were literally in this same series a year ago. But in that time frame, the Panthers learned how to bounce back from nearly getting reverse swept, and then showed incredible patience against the Maple Leafs to win that series. They Panthers have been through a lot, and we saw them at their best against Carolina – they completely shut them down. I wonder if a few extra days off will allow Matthew Tkachuk to get closer to 100%, too.
JASON GREGOR (Oilers in 5): Why? I picked them to win at the start of the playoffs, so no point changing now. They have home ice advantage and home teams are 13-6 in the salary cap era, and they’ve won the previous five Cups. The Oilers have the two best players and both are healthy and the Oilers’ depth is bigger, faster and more skilled this year. Their defense corps is deeper than last year’s and better at moving the puck. I love Florida’s style of how they bully teams, and the Oilers added players to handle that. They can match it with Evander Kane, Trent Frederic, Vasily Podkolzin and Darnell Nurse. While Corey Perry can match Brad Marchand in the “rat” category. The great players find ways to win, and Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are the two best playoff players of this generation and they are top-four all time. They won’t lose the Cup Final two years in a row.
MATT LARKIN (Oilers in 7): The Panthers are an absolute wagon. Even coach Paul Maurice called this team better than the one that won the Stanley Cup a year ago. My brain says they should be the pick. But the Oilers are like a powerhouse NBA team to me in that they possess a few all-world stars who can take over the game on their own and simply will them to victory. As deep as Florida is, so were Edmonton’s previous three opponents, who have only beaten Edmonton twice in 14 games after the Oilers fell down 2-0 to open Round 1. The Panthers have no equivalent to McDavid, Draisaitl and Bouchard, and the star power will make the difference in a very close series.
JONNY LAZARUS (Oilers in 7): How could these two teams not go the distance again? I’m sure it won’t be like last year’s series when one team wins three straight, just for the other to win three straight, but the Oilers have gotten meaner and won’t be as fazed by the moment. Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t been as hot as he was in last years postseason, while Stuart Skinner has found a new version of himself. Edmonton’s power play has been significantly better than Florida’s this postseason, but they’ve been extremely impressive at 5-on-5 as well. It’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s time.
SCOTT MAXWELL (Panthers in 6): For me, it simply comes down to the fact that this Panthers team is deeper and probably better than it was last year, and while the Oilers have gotten more out of their depth during this playoff run than they did last season, it does feel like from an all-around perspective, they’ve taken a step back. The Oilers have had many instances along the way where their approach was to bend, but not break, and the Panthers eat teams like that for breakfast. While Mattias Ekholm’s return does open the possibility of Edmonton hitting another gear, Zach Hyman’s absence likely takes away anything that’s gained there. Plus, we already know that Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart have the defensive prowess to shut down Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, whose success in this series will obviously determine if the Oilers win or lose.
PAUL PIDUTTI (Oilers in 6): After a 7-1 start in Round 1, my prediction success has come to a screeching halt. Edmonton is a big reason why as I simply didn’t believe this year’s version could play consistently enough to beat Vegas or Dallas. While you don’t need great goaltending to win the Stanley Cup, it became difficult to see Stuart Skinner or Cal Pickard stringing four wins together against elite teams. I’m here to say I was wrong and that Edmonton can and will take out a preposterously deep and well-oiled Florida machine. Connor McDavid and friends won’t be denied in consecutive years, the Oilers will pounce on a well-worn Panthers team, humbling the dynamic Bobrovsky (remember Games 4-6 of last year’s Final?). McDavid wins a second Conn Smythe joining only Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, Gretzky and Crosby among skaters, Florida’s bubble of invincibility finally bursts, and Canada mercifully has its first Cup in 32 years. Let the games begin.
BROCK SEGUIN (Oilers in 7): There’s very little to separate these two teams. Both teams are great at 5v5 and have elite power plays. It will be an exceptionally tight series, just as it was a year ago. The tiebreaker for me is Edmonton having home-ice advantage. It played a pivotal role a year ago, with the home team winning five of seven games. At home, Florida is so good at matching up with the Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell lines, but Edmonton will be able to get the matchups they want for McDavid and Draisaitl in Edmonton, and that could be the difference. Unsurprisingly, McDavid and Draisaitl have been much more productive on home ice throughout the playoffs, where Edmonton is 6-1 so far.
ANTHONY DI MARCO (Panthers in 6): I don’t think much has changed for the Panthers from last year, so why bet against them? If anything their defense is stronger with Seth Jones, and Brad Marchand adds another element to their bottom six that they didn’t have a year ago. No Hyman will affect the Oilers and I still have questions surrounding Skinner; will their depth up be enough to overtake that of the Panthers? Oh, and can we forget about the ‘Bob’ factor for the Cats? I never like to bet against McDavid and Draisaitl, but the Panthers are a different beast.
TYLER YAREMCHUK (Oilers in 6): I’ve been more bullish on the Oilers than others throughout these playoffs and I see no reason to change my tune now. This team is getting more depth scoring than they were a year ago, their blueline moves the puck way better than they did last season, and both McDavid and Draisaitl look like they have much more in the tank. I don’t think Leon Draisaitl will be held without a goal in this series, I don’t think the Oilers will fall down 0-3 like they did last season, and I think Skinner being in the zone that he is will help a lot too. The Panthers are very good, but the Oilers made quick work of both the Golden Knights and Stars, whom everyone viewed as good teams up until their series against the Oilers started. Maybe it’s time to start respecting just how good this Edmonton team is. I was tempted to say Oilers in five, but I’ll give a little bit more respect to the Panthers, who are the defending champions after all. It’s Connor McDavid’s year, though.
