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Kaplan's Stanley Cup buzz: What are the secrets to success for Oilers and Panthers?
How did last season set the stage for the Florida Panthers? What keyed the Edmonton Oilers' turnaround? Here's what we're hearing on the two teams left playing.
PLAYOFF MVP RANKINGS
Who leads for the Conn Smythe ahead of the Stanley Cup Final? Here are the top 10 candidates
Just two teams are left in the postseason, but each club has a number of strong candidates. After asking voters, we count down the contenders.
Top Headlines
STANLEY CUP FINAL MATCHUP
GAME 1 SATURDAY, JUNE 8 ON ABC/ESPN+
Stanley Cup Final preview: Players to watch, goalie confidence levels, top trends
The NHL's 2024 championship round is here. Will the Oilers win their sixth Cup, or will the Panthers take home their first? Here's an in-depth preview.
NHL
Trivia: Think you know the Stanley Cup?
JOE PAVELSKI
NHL
'He's meant everything to our group:' What's next for Joe Pavelski after 18 seasons in the NHL?
Could he continue to play or could a job in a front office be the next step for the Stars center? Whatever it is, people within the organization expect him to be successful.
PLAYOFFS CENTRAL
Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason
From the first round all the way through the Stanley Cup Final, ESPN has you covered. Explore the full results, and coverage on each team.
LOOKING AHEAD
Keys to the offseason: What's next for the Stars, other eliminated teams?
We explore the next moves each team should make this summer and forecast its 2024-25 outlook.
EDMONTON OILERS
BEST IN THE WEST
'He's the heartbeat of our team': Why everybody loves Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, long-suffering Edmonton Oiler
The No. 1 pick of the 2011 draft has been through quite a bit in his NHL career -- but now has his team on the precipice of the Stanley Cup Final.
Kris Knoblauch's journey from youth hockey coach to 'saving' Oilers' season
"We dug out of a big hole and Kris was a big reason for it," Edmonton GM Ken Holland said. It's been quite a year for the former West Hartford Wolves volunteer.
Have the Oilers done enough to get Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl a Stanley Cup?
Building around superstars can be a challenge. How did the Oilers do it, and could this be their best shot to win with McDavid and Draisaitl?
FLORIDA PANTHERS
THE EAST CHAMPS
The Panthers are back in the Stanley Cup Final: Keys to their run
Can the Panthers finish their story after falling just short in 2023? Here are the club's biggest trends so far, along with a look at what's ahead.
Patchwork Panthers: How Florida built a perennial contender
Only three players on the current roster have been there since being drafted by the Panthers. Here's how the front office, coaches make it all work.
How the Panthers became the NHL's bad boys
Frustrating, free-flowing and full of finesse. Florida is incapable of being rattled and is often the team instigating the extracurriculars.
Top Headlines
- Ex-Islanders coach Lambert hired by Maple Leafs
- Stanley Cup Final gets sign language broadcast
- Rangers disappointed but confident core can win
- Stars' Pavelski walking away after 18 seasons
- Chicago network to air Bulls, Blackhawks, Sox
- Oilers in Stanley Cup Final for 1st time since '06
- Despite 'our best game,' Stars ousted in Game 6
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- Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images
Offseason keys for NHL teams, including draft, free agency
We explore the next moves each team should make this summer and forecast its 2024-25 outlook.
- Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images
Ranking every NHL team's prospects: Why the Sabres are No. 1
Clubs will add to their pools of young talent in the draft, but who has the best system right now? We count them down from 32 to 1.
Trending Now
- John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images
Stanley Cup playoffs: A guide to all 16 teams' quirky traditions
From knight battles to the catfish toss, all 16 Stanley Cup playoff teams have franchise-defining traditions.
- (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
What's on the masks of Stanley Cup playoff goalies? Our guide
From throwback logos to player tributes to a friendly otter, see the unique mask designs that goalies on 2024 postseason teams have worn this season.
