By Nevan Oliveira, The Hockey News intern

Excitement builds for a Stanley Cup final rematch between the defending champion Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers.

Fans are eager to see if Florida can be the third NHL team to repeat in the last decade or if Edmonton can finally end Canada’s 32-year Cup drought.

Both teams are stacked with talent, but the edge may go to the one playing with more confidence and urgency. That includes players who returned from injury, underperformed last year or are on their first or potentially last deep playoff run.

Here’s a look at some of those players with something to prove heading into this high-stakes matchup starting June 4.

Brad Marchand, LW, $6.125 million AAV

For the first time in his impressive 16-year career, Brad Marchand is heading to the Stanley Cup final as something other than a Boston Bruin. 

Marchand has reached the Cup final three times – winning against Vancouver in 2011, then losing to Chicago in 2013 and St. Louis in 2019. In the 20 games combined from those final appearances, Marchand had seven goals and 12 points.

Marchand got another chance to chase a Cup this year after the falling Bruins moved him to the Panthers in the final moments of NHL trade deadline day – and he’s making the most of it. At 37, this could be his last kick at the can in the Cup final, depending on what happens with his pending UFA status this summer.

Seth Jones, D, $9.5 million AAV

Seth Jones has at last reached the Stanley Cup final in his third month as a Panther.

After a tough stint in Chicago where his performance suffered despite consistent scoring, Jones was traded for Spencer Knight and a conditional 2026 first-round pick, offering a fresh start reminiscent of his more successful Columbus years.

In Florida’s 17-game playoff run, Jones has three goals, seven points and a plus-9 rating alongside Niko Mikkola. Now, with a shot at the Cup, Jones can prove he’s still an elite defenseman at 30.

Evan Rodrigues, C/W, $3 million AAV

Rodrigues has become increasingly noticeable as the playoffs progress, highlighted by a standout series against Carolina, where he tallied one goal and seven of his 11 playoff points in just five games.

In last year’s Stanley Cup final against the Oilers, Rodrigues led the team with four goals and seven points. If Rodrigues can carry that level of confidence and performance against the Oilers once again and deliver a strong showing in another Stanley Cup final, he could significantly boost his next salary when his current contract expires in 2027.

Leon Draisaitl, C, $14 million AAV

As one of the NHL’s most effective players, the only thing missing from Draisaitl’s resume – like Connor McDavid – is a Stanley Cup. 

He underperformed in last year’s Cup final, recording just three points and a minus-2 plus-minus, though coach Kris Knoblauch later revealed he was playing through hand and rib injuries. 

Now, healthier and hungrier, this rematch against the Panthers provides Draisaitl with another opportunity to prove his dominance and bring the Cup back to Edmonton.

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Stuart Skinner, G, $2.6 million AAV

With Edmonton placing a stronger emphasis on defense down the stretch of these playoffs, Stuart Skinner has shown his capabilities. Since taking over from Calvin Pickard against Vegas, he’s posted a .931 save percentage and a 1.73 goals-against average over eight games, winning six of them. 

If Skinner can help lead the Oilers to a Stanley Cup for the first time since the days of Grant Fuhr and Bill Ranford, his reputation will be transformed – and so will his future contract value.

Evander Kane, LW/RW, $5.125 million AAV

Before this post-season, Kane didn't play since Game 2 against Florida last year. He recovered from two torn hip adductor muscles, two hernias, two torn lower abdominal muscles and a knee injury to play in this year's playoffs. He’s contributed five goals and 11 points in 15 games so far. 

Now, hopefully close to full health, Kane brings a physical edge and scoring touch the Oilers miss without him. If Edmonton deploys him effectively, he can use his snarl to disrupt the Panthers’ rhythm and chip in with gritty, timely goals, which we saw in the clincher against Dallas.

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Zach Hyman didn't travel with the Edmonton Oilers when they went to Dallas to eliminate the Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference final, but he got to celebrate the win with the team.

After suffering an injury in Game 4 from a hit by Stars left winger Mason Marchment, Hyman watched from afar.

"It was the day after my surgery – I was sitting on my couch with my wife and mother-in-law just watching," Hyman told reporters on Wednesday before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final.

As Oilers players wore their 2025 Western Conference champions hats in the dressing room, the team got on a FaceTime call with Hyman to say they miss him and can't wait to see him back in Edmonton.

Hyman said he didn't expect the call, but it meant the world to him.

"It caught me off guard," Hyman said. "Honestly, I was crying. It was really emotional, to feel so much a part of the team, and for them to do that in that moment, it meant a lot.

"I'm going to be with the team the whole way acting like I'm playing, but obviously not."

Hyman won't play in the final. He gave more details about what happened.

"I just felt my wrist kind of go on me, and even then you still think, whatever it is, you'll be able to play through it or there'll be a chance you can play through it," he said.

"The wrist was dislocated, so a lot goes into that, the ligaments, breaks, whatever else," Hyman added. "I don't want to get into too much of the nitty gritty, but I should be back for the start of next year, but I don't want to put a timetable on it. They'll be rehab involved."

Hyman, 32, had five goals and six assists for 11 points in his 15 playoff games. He had two goals and an assist in Game 3 against the Stars to help Edmonton take the series lead. He also had 27 goals and 44 points in 73 regular-season games.

"Missing him is big," Oilers center Adam Henrique told reporters. "He's a huge piece of this team. His physicality. His net-front presence. In the locker room. All those types of things."

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As Game 1 gets underway in Edmonton at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the Oilers will look to win one more game than last year, when they lost in seven games to the Florida Panthers. Hyman will travel with the team to every game.

"He's a great person, and we're going to miss him on the ice," Henrique said. "But he'll be there. And we're certainly going to fight for him on the ice."

- With files from Avry Lewis-McDougall

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