Stanley Cup Playoffs 2025: Picks, predictions for Panthers-Hurricanes, Stars-Oilers conference final matchups

After the Florida Panthers topped the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7, the conference finals are officially set for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the next two weeks, four teams will battle it out to see who will get the opportunity to play for the NHL’s ultimate prize this postseason.

In the Eastern Conference, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers are continuing to prove they’re the measuring stick when it comes to postseason success this year. After battling out of a 0-2 series hole against the Maple Leafs, the Panthers will face off against the Carolina Hurricanes, who eliminated the Washington Capitals in five games in the second round.

Meanwhile, the Western Conference Final will showcase the Dallas Stars taking on the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers will be aiming for a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final after losing to Florida in 2024. On the other hand, the Stars are headed back to the Western Conference Final for the third consecutive season after outlasting the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets in the second round.

Before the Eastern and Western Conference Finals begin, here are our expert picks for each of the series winners.

Panthers vs. Hurricanes

Series odds: Panthers -126, Hurricanes +105 (via FanDuel)

Bengel: The reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers showed why they’re a force to be reckoned with in the postseason. After dropping the first two games against Toronto, Florida flexed its offensive muscles on several occasions to outlast their Atlantic Division counterparts. 

The Panthers forward group has proved to be their ultimate strength in recent years, but the trade deadline acquisition of Brad Marchand is paying massive dividends when the lights are the brightest. Marchand leads the team in points (12) this postseason and tallied three goals and five assists against the Maple Leafs, including an overtime game-winning goal in Game 3 that turned the tide of the series. On top of that, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was the definition of a brick wall over the final four games of that series in which he only allowed four total goals. According to MoneyPuck, Bobrovsky has a .956 save percentage when it comes to stopping unblocked shots during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Why Brad Marchand’s Panthers success is a positive for Bruins, the four-time All-Star’s former team

Shanna McCarriston

The combination of offensive depth and a stellar back end will be the difference in this series. While the Hurricanes can defend at an elite level, the Panthers are going to be too much for them to handle throughout this series. Pick — Panthers def. Hurricanes 4-1

Nivison: After the Panthers’ Game 7 blowout of the Maple Leafs, we have a rematch of the 2023 Eastern Conference Final. The question is whether the result will be any different from that matchup, which was a clean sweep by Florida. The Hurricanes have rolled through the first two rounds with relative ease, but the reigning champs are a very different animal.

Carolina is 8-2 in these playoffs with a plus-16 goal differential. Their ability to control play at five-on-five is still very strong, and they have gotten elite production from Andrei Svechnikov, Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho. Add in the fact that Frederik Andersen has been one of the best goalies in this postseason, and it looks like Carolina is better suited to beat Florida this time around. The trouble for the Canes is that the Panthers are capable of doing everything they do at an even higher level.

Florida has been an even better five-on-five club than Carolina this postseason, and that’s despite getting tougher matchups. The Panthers have three lines capable of doing damage, their team defense is second to none and Sergei Bobrovsky elevated his game in the last four games against Toronto. The Panthers are just a cut above the Hurricanes in almost every aspect. Carolina will avoid the sweep, but Florida will advance to its third straight Stanley Cup Final. Pick — Panthers def. Hurricanes 4-2

Stars vs. Oilers

Series odds: Stars -110, Oilers -110 (via DraftKings)

Bengel: The Western Conference Final is about as much of a toss-up as you could possibly get in the postseason. Both the Oilers and Stars are battle-tested from the previous round, while also having played in the Western Conference Final frequently in recent years.

The Stars got all they could handle against the Jets, but were able to rise to the occasion to win the series. Much like the Panthers on the other side of the bracket, the Stars’ offensive depth is through the roof. It’s hard to find a better forward group up the middle than they possess with Roope Hintz, Matt Duchene, Wyatt Johnston and even Sam Steel on the fourth line. Dallas also received a massive bump in the second round when defenseman Miro Heiskanen returned from injury to improve the back end. It is going to be a series where the star power will need to rise to the top. On one side, there’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl pacing the Oilers, while Mikko Rantanen leads the Stars with his postseason-leading 19 points. It’ll be interesting to see how often Stars coach Pete DeBoer will double shift Rantanen as he did it often down the stretch against the Jets in the previous round. 

The gap between these two teams is razor thin, but I’m giving the edge to the Stars due to their advantage in the goaltending department. Jake Oettinger was sensational against Winnipeg, while I expect Calvin Pickard to eventually come back down to earth in what could be a very long series. Pick — Stars def. Oilers 4-3

Nivison: In perhaps the most impressive showing by any team in the playoffs, the Oilers made light work of the Golden Knights in the second round. McDavid and Draisaitl led the way with three points each, but perhaps more importantly, Edmonton did get contributions from the supporting cast. Corey Perry. Evander Kane and Adam Henrique combined for seven goals while Stuart Skinner made all the saves he should. That’s all the help McDavid and Draisaitl need for this Oilers team to run at full steam.

On the other side, the Stars are here for the third year in a row, and they are built for this moment. Their depth, which was already very good in previous seasons, is the best it’s ever been. Mikko Rantanen, a big body built for the playoffs, leads the league in goals (9) and points (19). Mikael Granlund has made a big impact further down the lineup. If Dallas can get Jason Robertson going after returning from his injury, Edmonton may not be able to contain this offense. 

If Mattias Ekholm can return to the Oilers blue line at some point in this series, it would go a long way toward slowing down Dallas, but his status is still up in the air for Games 1 and 2. Beyond that, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the enormous goaltending edge the Stars have in this matchup with Jake Oettinger across from Stuart Skinner. That being the case, I’m going to go with the Stars’ combo of quantity and quality over the Oilers’ top-heavy roster construction. Pick — Stars def. Oilers 4-2