Matthew Tkachuk Had Simple Reason Why 2025 Stanley Cup Will Be Better Than Last Year's

Karl Rasmussen | Jun 5, 2025

Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk / Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

NHL fans are being treated to a sequel of last season's Stanley Cup Final, as the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers both ran the gauntlet again to meet in the championship bout.

Last year's Final was intense and needed seven games to reach its conclusion, despite the Panthers jumping out to an early 3–0 series lead. They were eventually able to shut the door with a 2–1 win in Game 7 to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup title.

After Edmonton started the series off with a 4–3 overtime win on Wednesday night, Matthew Tkachuk made clear that he thinks this edition of the Oilers-Panthers Stanley Cup Final will be even better than its predecessor.

His reason why is simple enough. "They're better. We're better. It's going to be a great series," Tkachuk said Thursday, via Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

Last season's Cup Final had plenty of fireworks between the two sides. Since then, both teams have re-tooled and made improvements to their rosters. On Florida's side, they added standout talents such as Seth Jones and Brad Marchand at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, the Oilers picked up Jake Walman to shore up their defense.

The result has been plain to see, as both teams made it back to the Stanley Cup Final for a rare rematch. Although the Panthers find themselves down early, Tkachuk made clear there's plenty more hockey to be played between the two sides.

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