The 16-team discipline for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs is now right down to 4: the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.
For the Stars and Oilers, it is a rematch of the 2024 Western Convention finals; for the Canes and Panthers, it is a rematch of 2023’s Japanese Convention finals.
Who wins this time round, with a visit to the Stanley Cup Closing on the road? The ESPN hockey household checks in with their predictions for every sequence:
Extra: Full schedule
Convention finals preview
Betting intel
Japanese Convention finals
Blake Bolden: Panthers in seven
John Buccigross: Panthers in seven
Ryan Callahan: Panthers in six
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Panthers in six
Sachin Chandan: Hurricanes in 5
Meghan Chayka: Hurricanes in seven
Ryan S. Clark: Panthers in seven
Linda Cohn: Panthers in seven
Rachel Doerrie: Panthers in six
Ray Ferraro: Panthers in six
Emily Kaplan: Panthers in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Hurricanes in six
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Panthers in seven
Steve Levy: Panthers in six
Vince Masi: Hurricanes in seven
Victoria Matiash: Panthers in six
Sean McDonough: Panthers in six
Mike Monaco: Hurricanes in seven
Arda Öcal: Panthers in six
Kristen Shilton: Panthers in six
John Thoering: Panthers in six
Bob Wischusen: Panthers in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Panthers in six
Consensus decide: Panthers (18 of 23 picks)
1:11
Why Hurricanes vs. Panthers units up for ‘excellent’ ECF
Kevin Weekes previews what followers ought to anticipate when the Carolina Hurricanes tackle the Florida Panthers within the Japanese Convention finals.
Western Convention finals
Blake Bolden: Stars in seven
John Buccigross: Oilers in seven
Ryan Callahan: Stars in six
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Stars in seven
Sachin Chandan: Stars in seven
Meghan Chayka: Oilers in six
Ryan S. Clark: Oilers in six
Linda Cohn: Stars in seven
Rachel Doerrie: Stars in seven
Ray Ferraro: Stars in seven
Emily Kaplan: Stars in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Stars in seven
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Stars in six
Steve Levy: Stars in seven
Vince Masi: Oilers in six
Victoria Matiash: Stars in seven
Sean McDonough: Stars in seven
Mike Monaco: Oilers in six
Arda Öcal: Oilers in six
Kristen Shilton: Stars in six
John Thoering: Stars in seven
Bob Wischusen: Stars in seven
Greg Wyshynski: Stars in seven
Consensus decide: Stars (17 of 23 picks)
1:03
Kevin Weekes’ gamers to look at in ‘epic’ Oilers-Stars showdown
Kevin Weekes lays out what to anticipate from the Western Convention finals rematch between the Edmonton Oilers and the Dallas Stars.
