TheEdmonton OilersandDallas Starsare facing each other in theNHL Western Conference finalsfor the second year in a row, starting Wednesday night in Dallas. In theEastern Conference finals, theFlorida PanthersandCarolina Hurricaneswill meet in a rematch of the 2023 series. That series will open on Tuesday in Raleigh, North Carolina. That leaves four possible matchups in the Stanley Cup Final: Stars vs. Hurricanes, Stars vs. Panthers, Oilers vs. Hurricanes or Oilers vs. Panthers, last year's championship round. Which matchup would be the best one to watch? All have their merits. USA TODAY ranks the four possibilities for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final: Why not a rematch? Last year's Stanley Cup Final certainly was entertaining, at least by the end. Florida won the first three games and appeared poised to sweep, only to beblown out 8-1 in Game 4. The Oilersforced a Game 7, but the Panthers found their game andwon 2-1 at home for their first Stanley Cup title. Both teams are filled with stars and are deeper than they were last season. Edmonton and Florida have the top offenses of the four remaining teams. Plus, the storylines abound. Can the Panthers repeat, and would we call them a dynasty if they do after three consecutive trips to the final? Will the Oilers become thefirst Canadian teamsince the 1993Montreal Canadiensto win the Stanley Cup? Will Edmonton's Connor McDavid, last year's playoff MVP, and Leon Draisaitl win their first championships? The Oilers would have home-ice advantage this time. Want some fresher faces? This one works. Dallas was last in the final in 2020, Carolina in 2006. Plus, there is the Mikko Rantanen factor. He alreadybeat the Colorado Avalanchethis postseason after that teamsurprisingly traded him to the Hurricanesearlier in the season. He would have a chance to knock off another former team because theHurricanes dealt him to the Starswhen they feared he wouldn't sign in Carolina. He has beena force in the playoffswith a league-best nine goals and 19 points. The Hurricanes, though, have been good at neutralizing other teams' stars. Carolina's Andrei Svechnikov is right behind Rantanen with eight goals. These teams were well-represented at the4 Nations Face-Off, so there is top-end talent. The Finnish Olympic team certainly would be paying attention. These teams also have the best remaining power plays. Panthers coach Paul Maurice and Stars coach Peter DeBoer are friends and are highly quotable. We would want this to go to Game 7 becauseDeBoer is 9-0in winner-take-all games andMaurice is 6-0. This would be the top remaining offense (Edmonton) vs. the best defense (Carolina), though the Hurricanes' style isn't always the most exciting to watch. This would also be a rematch of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. The Hurricanes led that series 3-1, but the eighth-seeded Oilers fought back before Carolina won in Game 7. Rod Brind'Amour was the first player to lift the Stanley Cup as Hurricanes captain. Will he get to lift the trophy for the first time as a coach? This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NHL playoffs: Ranking Stanley Cup Final matchups among remaining teams
