Majority of NHL writers picking Panthers to beat Oilers
It appears the Edmonton Oilers have not convinced the majority of NHL.com writers that they can beat the Florida Panthers in the upcoming Stanley Cup Final.
The league’s website recently polled 15 of its writers to determine who they thought would win the Stanley Cup andĀ the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. Of those writers, only five chose the Oilers to win over the Panthers.
That means that 10 of the 15 writers (or 66.7%) chose Florida to knock off Connor McDavid’s Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final.
Stanley Cup Final predictions for Oilers-Panthers ā¤µļøhttps://t.co/NJPDfHEgC3
— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) June 3, 2024
This goes against the predictions of some of the most prominent analytical models around the league that either have Edmonton as slight favourites over the Panthers or have both teams equal at 50/50 odds.
Of the five writers who chose the Oilers, four said it would take Edmonton six games to do so, while the other said seven. The most popular overall answer was that the Panthers would dispatch the Oilers in six games,Ā with a total of six votes choosing that outcome. Three writers said Florida in seven, while one thinks the Panthers make easy work of Edmonton in five games.
The prevailing thought behind all these Panthers picks seems to rest on perceived advantage in overall depth and goaltending, as well as the fact that Florida is on a mission to win the Stanley Cup after coming up short last season (something Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch threw some doubt on this morning).
Meanwhile, the writers who chose the Oilers like what they’ve seen from Edmonton’s newfound commitment to their defensive zone play and aren’t willing to bet against the two best players in the world, McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
We’ll find out which side got things right when the series gets underway on Saturday night in Florida.