The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights each bulldozed their opponents in the first three rounds and are now set to clash in what should be a riveting Stanley Cup Final.
Below, we address a comprehensive list of storylines to follow as the 2025-26 season nears its finish.
Tale of the tape
The Hurricanes swept the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers before eliminating the Montreal Canadiens in five games to reach their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years. The Golden Knights needed six games in Rounds 1 and 2 to oust the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks, respectively, then swept the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
Odds to win
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Hurricanes | -155 |
| Golden Knights | +130 |
Marner's new reputation
Marner has gone from playoff scapegoat to hero. After nearly a decade of failing to show up in big moments for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the star winger leads the postseason in scoring and has a pair of game-winning goals to boot. Will he complete his transformation and help lead Vegas to a title, perhaps winning playoff MVP along the way? He certainly wouldn't be the first former Maple Leaf to find postseason glory in a new environment, but you can count on his potential success story to be the most talked about.
Conn Smythe watch
Marner is definitely worthy of Conn Smythe consideration through three rounds, but he'll need to heat up again to cement his chances after tallying a modest three assists in four games versus the Avalanche. Although Jack Eichel only has two goals, he is up to 18 points in 16 playoff games and playing a marvelous 200-foot game. Goalies always earn Conn Smythe votes, and Carter Hart is certainly in the mix with a .922 playoff save percentage.
Speaking of netminders, Frederik Andersen is the clear front-runner for playoff MVP should the Hurricanes win, as he owns a .931 clip, 1.41 goals against average, and three shutouts this spring. Hall has been their most prolific producer, while Logan Stankoven ranks second in the playoffs with nine goals. Carolina has found success via contributions throughout the lineup rather than one standout player, but a strong final could strengthen Hall's and Stankoven's resumes.
Odds to win the Conn Smythe
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Mitch Marner | +165 |
| Frederik Andersen | +240 |
| Taylor Hall | +700 |
| Logan Stankoven | +900 |
| Carter Hart | +1400 |
| Jackson Blake | +1600 |
| Jack Eichel | +1800 |
🏒 Bet on who will win the Conn Smythe Trophy with theScore Bet here
Brind'Amour's legacy
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour captained the team to its only Stanley Cup and now has a chance to become the first person since Toe Blake in 1956 to win a championship in both roles with the same franchise. Carolina has a .659 points percentage since Brind'Amour took over behind the bench in 2018-19, the league's second-best mark over that span. However, his impressive coaching tenure has been marred by an inability to reach the Stanley Cup Final. A win for the Hurricanes would put Brind'Amour in the upper echelon of coaches in the modern generation and perhaps be enough to get him in the Hockey Hall of Fame after years on the fringe.
Tortorella can join exclusive group
John Tortorella is building a unique coaching resume of his own for Vegas. It's been 22 years since Tortorella guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup, and the 67-year-old is now on the precipice of becoming only the fourth head coach in NHL history to win a championship with two teams. The last person to do so was the legendary Scotty Bowman.
Tortorella, who's coached over 1,000 games between five franchises since hoisting Lord Stanley, is in an unthinkable position after being hired March 30. What better way to secure a contract for next season than leading your new team to a title?
Villainous Vegas
We've recently written detailed accounts of Vegas' questionable reputation, but we couldn't preview the Stanley Cup Final without mentioning the Golden Knights' status as the NHL's top villain. Personnel decisions. Dodging media obligations. Reaching the final for the third time in nine years of existence after bolstering their position in the standings with 17 loser points. The sum of it all has made a large contingent of fans sick of Vegas occupying headlines. A second championship in four seasons would only fuel those fires.
Andersen's resume
If Andersen's dominance continues long enough for the Hurricanes to win, not only will he post perhaps one of the best playoff goaltending performances of all time, he'll suddenly own a compelling Hockey Hall of Fame case. He's an unrestricted free agent this summer and has a chance to sail off into the sunset with a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe while sitting 33rd all time in wins and 19th in save percentage among goalies with at least 500 games played. The bar for Hall of Fame goalies has been lowered in recent years, and Andersen may end his career with some significant hardware to complement his strong numbers.
Hall's long wait
If Carolina wins it all, it's a safe bet that Hall will be near the front of the line to receive his lap with the Stanley Cup. The 2010 first overall pick will compete for a championship for the first time in his 16-year career, and he's played an integral role in the Hurricanes' success. His line with Stankoven and Jackson Blake is outscoring the opposition 12-4 at five-on-five and owns a 72.96% expected goals rate in those minutes. Hall's career arc hasn't quite panned out as anticipated; he's transformed from phenom to MVP to journeyman to irreplaceable complementary piece on a contender. Regardless of how he got here, Hall capturing a Stanley Cup would be one of the top feel-good stories of this year's final.
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