Fresh and rested oilers feel ready for the Stanley Cup final – perhaps no more than Evander Kane

Athletics has live coverage of panthers against Oilers Game 1 from the Stanley 2025 Cup final.

Edmonton – Even without the right winger Zach Hyman, the Edmonton Oilers feel better prepared to manage the Florida panthers during the Stanley Cup final that a year ago.

The collective health of the rest of the group is a great reason for this optimism.

“It’s not just injuries,” said Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch. “We were able to play fewer games. We had long breaks between two series. Last year, we never had that. The series of seven games against Vancouver was difficult. Dallas, it was as if it had a much larger number about us.

“Overall, I would say that we are in a little better position.”

It starts with Evander Kane.

“It’s fun to be part of it and not have question points,” he said.

Kane played in the 2024 playoffs with a sports hernia and was a shell of his best self. He got up on the bench during the matches because he was too painful to sit down. He had only 4 minutes, 39 seconds, ice time when the Oilers closed the Dallas stars in match 6 in the West Conference final. As the Stanley Cup final moved to Edmonton, he only played two games.

“It was not fun,” said Kane. “You get needles on leave just to be able to walk.

“It was last year. I am really excited that we have another crack this year and that I feel what I feel. ”

Kane was a difference for differences for eliminatory series. He made his debut in the season in match 2 of the series in the first round against the Kings of Los Angeles after missing the whole regular season after basic surgeries in September and a knee range in January. He has since played from top to alignment, recording five goals and 11 points in 15 games.

He had moments of signature, including a pair of efforts to a booty and an assisted in the first and second round. He scored an insurance marker in match 5 of the Western Conference final last Thursday with Hyman outside the service after undergoing surgery for an upper body injury.

Oilers, without Hyman, will need the best of Kane against the Panthers. He believes he is ready for this challenge, especially after missing most of the final last June. We will expect it to play with an advantage, intimidated and perhaps provide the antidote to the Pest Matthew Tkachuk panthers, as he did in the 2022 series against the flames of Calgary.

“I have been in the league for 16 years. I think I have shown that I like this side of the game,” said Kane smiling. “This is part of competitiveness, part of the spirit of the NHL qualifiers. This is something I like. At the same time, you want to be intelligent with and make sure you play hockey first.”

Kane could be a catalyst for this series. He went to the second line with Leon Draisaitl and Kasperi Kapanen when Hyman left the programming. He should remain in one role among the first six to start the final.

But the Oilers have more than Kane to compensate for the loss of Hyman.

Knoblauch said Connor Brown would return to programming for the first match after missing the last two games in the Dallas series due to Alex Petrovic’s success in match 3. Combine Brown with additional depth, and the loss of Hyman is not almost the problem it would have been in past seasons.

“We are better equipped this year, especially in advance – many more physical players,” said Knoblauch.

“We did an excellent job in match 5 against Dallas,” said Kane. “This time, we have much more depth throughout the whole of our alignment. If we need to score, we have a score. If we need some guys who can be a little more physical, we can be more physical. Unfortunately, we will have to use this depth and we must have to do the work with. ”

In defense, recovering Mattias Ekholm is a huge boost. He played a little less than 16 minutes in his return from an injury to the lower body in match 5 – his debut in the playoffs in 2025 and his first appearance since April 11 – while recording a decisive pass and two blocked shots and taking a penalty.

“It seemed very much that we are used to seeing Ekky playing,” said Oilers Kris Knoblauch coach.

Knoblauch expects him to be closer to his average of 22:12 of the regular season in match 1 of the final.

The initial prognosis for Ekholm, after his second unsuccessful attempt to come back from his injury, was that the entire qualifying series would miss. But now the wound is not even in his mind.

“It has been feeling good for a few weeks, but you must also go beyond this mental thing where you trust him and you can go 100% in each situation and not think so much,” said Ekholm. “I feel really good and I have the impression of trusting my body.”

The only advantage for the Oilers, at least compared to a year ago, is that they do not need to tax Ekholm if it is not necessary. They can spread around ice time and tasks more uniformly, because they could have their group of defenders the best and most well balanced since the glory days of the 1980s.

“We have a body D that can move the washer, which can skate,” said Darnell Nursee. “We have elements of physicality and to compete. I like our group. I really like the six guys who can go there. We also showed during the playoffs, which we had guys waiting to enter the programming which can also have an impact. ”

Ekholm was back with the usual partner Evan Bouchard in the end of the West Conference, while the Darnell and Brett Kulak nurse were twinned, just like Jake Walman with John Klingberg. The Blue Line underwent a transformation with Walman and Klingberg in the mixture – plus the Troy Stecher Extras and Ty Emberson – compared to Cody This, Vincent Desharnais and Philip Broberg a year ago.

“Nothing against our defense last year. There is a small change,” said Knoblauch. “They have the way these guys are playing right now and the staff we have with the types of players, we like it.”

With Ekholm who was released in the formation of the last match, Ice Times went from 5:29 pm from Klingberg to Kulak 22:32.

“You look at the Two D body, and I thought we also had a good body from last year,” said Ekholm. “But this year, we are different. We are more mobile. We have three pairs that can play against the upper lines. They can play against the results. We can all do it. Knowing that each pair can contribute both offensively and defensively, hopefully, it is to hope for something that will be in our favor.”

It is not as if everyone was entirely healthy in the Stanley Cup final.

The oilers had many players away from the end of the regular season and although they all returned, hockey in the playoffs does not tickle exactly. Brown is recovering from his injury. McDavid left Sunday training, although Knoblauch said he would be back on the ice with his teammates on Tuesday.

However, the Oilers believe that they are in a better place than a year ago. Having Kane playing closer to his post-season level in 2022, while scoring goals and passed from the adversaries skins, compared to the form of last year, goes very far.

“Do I think he can make a difference? Absolutely,” said Knoblauch. “We missed it last year. I think he will do a large part of this series now. ”

(Photo: Leila Devlin / Getty Images)