Edmonton Oilers prepare for Stanley Cup Final against Florida Panthers
Global News
The Edmonton Oilers open the championship series on Saturday night against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.
The Edmonton Oilers are where they have long expected themselves to be, which is playing for the Stanley Cup.
The Oilers open the best-of-seven NHL championship Saturday night against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.
Edmonton makes its first Stanley Cup final appearance since 2006, when the Oilers lost in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes, and are four wins from hoisting Lord Stanley’s trophy above their heads 34 years after Edmonton’s last Cup win in 1990.
“This was always part of the plan. Always has been for this group,” captain Connor McDavid said.
The clock is ticking on the NHL’s most northern franchise to maximize in its lineup arguably the two best hockey players in the world before free agency. McDavid has two years remaining on his contract and Leon Draisaitl one when this season ends.
Edmonton’s dynamic duo has a combined 15 goals and 44 assists this post-season.
The Oilers were ousted by the eventual Stanley Cup champion the last two years — in six games in the second round by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, and in a 2022 Western Conference final sweep by the Colorado Avalanche.
“It’s been a bit of a bumpy road, whether it be off years or heartbreak in the playoffs or whatever it is,” McDavid said. “This was always part of the plan, to be in this moment.
