My 2025 Stanley Cup Final Preview + Prediction

 The biggest series and stage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is now upon us, and there will be a rematch of last year's Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers beginning Wednesday. Before officially previewing this year's Cup Final and giving my prediction, a brief overview of the conference finals to explain how we got here: Heading into the conference finals, I genuinely thought that both series in the east and west would be more competitive, but they were not. Both series ended in five games each. I should have been more aware that the Hurricanes had a lengthy losing streak in the conference finals and have a tendency to disappear at that stage ever since they won their first and only Stanley Cup in 2006. At least they ended that lengthy skid and won one game against the Panthers to avoid getting swept. In addition, I was a bit disappointed that the Stars' top players underperformed for the most part against the Oilers this year. On a side note, as for how this year's Western Conference Final concluded, the Sharks' second first-round pick in this year's draft, which was acquired by the Sharks from the Stars as part of the Mikael Granlund + Cody Ceci trade, will be the 30th overall selection. 

The 2025 Stanley Cup Final is the first rematch between opponents since the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins faced each other in the big dance in 2008 and 2009. It is also the sixth consecutive Stanley Cup Final to feature a team from the state of Florida or Corey Perry. With the way both the Panthers and Oilers have been performing in the playoffs this year, a collision course towards a Cup Final rematch was bound to occur. The Panthers are seeking to defend their Stanley Cup from last year and have set themselves up well for this moment, led by their captain and top scorer in Aleksander Barkov. Other top playoff performers on the Panthers this year include Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Sergei Bobrovsky, who have also had huge impacts in Florida's deep run. On the other hand, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the Oilers are seeking revenge for their heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the Cup Final to the Panthers last year and are hungrier and more determined than ever to do so. Edmonton is also looking to win their first Stanley Cup since the 80s and become the first Canadian-based team since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993 to win the Stanley Cup, which is a very real possibility. The Oilers are hoping to better their fortunes this year with the recent great play of Stuart Skinner in net, their depth scorers stepping up when necessary, three of their newest additions since last year in Jeff Skinner, Jake Walman, and Kasperi Kapanen, and by touching the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl. 

I am definitely looking forward to how this Stanley Cup Final rematch goes down, as it is a highly anticipated and intriguing championship series. Without further ado, the moment we have all been waiting for: the Florida Panthers will defeat the Edmonton Oilers in six games and will be your back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions. In most scenarios, I would not be thrilled about repeat champions, but in this scenario, I would be completely okay with and prefer it. Check back here once the Stanley Cup has been awarded for the final result along with my recap and reaction of the entire Cup Final series on CPF Hockey. 

Sources: ESPN, NHL App 

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Sharks Re-Sign Shakir Mukhamadullin to 1-Year Deal

 The Sharks announced today that they have re-signed pending RFA defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin to a one-year contract worth $1 million. 

Mukhamadullin will be a key player in helping the Sharks overhaul and reshape their blue line for next season. He split the 2024-25 season between the NHL and AHL with the Sharks and Barracuda, recording two goals and seven assists for nine points in 30 NHL games along with nine assists in 21 AHL games. Mukhamadullin finished last season on the Sharks tied for fourth in assists, fifth in points, and ninth in goals among NHL rookie defensemen. He also averaged at least 20 minutes of time on ice per game in 11 of his last 13 games of the season before suffering a season-ending injury. 

Not only will Shakir Mukhamadullin almost certainly be a full-time NHLer next season, but I expect him to further develop and take the next steps in his young NHL career. Although the Sharks have plenty more to do to overhaul their defense corps, signing Shakir Mukhamadullin to a new contract is a necessary step in the right direction for Team Teal in accomplishing their biggest objective this offseason. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App 

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My 2025 Stanley Cup Conference Finals Predictions

 The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has officially come to a close, and the conference finals have been set. Before revealing my conference finals predictions, a brief overview of the second round: I thought the Capitals would put up more of a fight and possibly advance past the Hurricanes, but the end result of Carolina winning that series should not be super shocking considering that the Capitals have only made it past the second round once in the past several years. As for the Oilers-Golden nights series, I am most proud that the Golden Knights did not stand much of a chance and their season was ended by Edmonton in round two. Jets-Stars was a great series, and I am glad the the better and my preferred team in the Stars prevailed. I also feel for Mark Scheifele, whose dad unexpectedly passed away the day before his Jets were eliminated in Game 6. Lastly, the Panthers-Maple Leafs produced some fireworks, but I knew all along that it would result in the Leafs choking and the Panthers finding a way to advance once again. 

We are also now at the point where there is just one game per day, increasing the stakes and importance of every game further. Per usual, as the rounds progress, I expect the intensity, physicality, and overall compete level to increase as well among all the remaining teams. More greatness and history are in store for the next two weeks, with every conference finals series appearing evenly-matched and having the potential to go the complete distance. Without further ado, here are my official conference finals predictions for this year with who I want to see advance to the Stanley Cup Final alongside each prediction: 

Eastern Conference Final: Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes 

Prediction: Hurricanes in 7 

Who I Want to Win: Hurricanes 

Western Conference Final: Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars 

Prediction: Stars in 7 

Who I Want to Win: Stars 

In other news, the Sharks signed forward Yegor Afanasyev to a one-year contract worth $800,000. He was originally acquired by the Sharks last offseason in a trade that sent Ozzy Wiesblatt to the Predators and spent last season with CSKA Moskva of the KHL in Russia, collecting seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points in 53 games. He also recorded tow goals and two assists for four points in six postseason games. Both Afanasyev and CSKA Moskva have agreed to mutually terminate his KHL contract after this past season, and Afanasyev has a great chance to crack the Sharks roster in a bottom-six role heading into next season. 

Source: Sharks + SAP Center App 

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Sharks Sign Mattias Havelid to Entry-Level Contract + Other Recent Sharks News

 The Sharks announced today that they have signed defenseman and 2022 second-round pick Mattias Havelid to a three-year, standard entry-level contract. 

During the 2024-25 season, Havelid registered one assist in 19 games with Linkoping HC in the Swedish Hockey League, along with two goals and 12 assists for 14 points in 18 games with Djurgardens IF in Allsvenskan. In addition, Havelid recorded one goal and two assists in 14 postseason games with Linkoping, helping his team capture the HockeyAllsvenskan Championship. In total up to this point, Mattias Havelid has 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 110 SHL games. It is very likely that Havelid wiil begin next season in the AHL with the Barracuda to help fill out their blue line. 

In other news, Joe Thornton was one of the first six players named to the NHL Quarter-Century Team. The first six players that made the cut all made their debuts before 2000. Rounding out the first six members of the NHL Quarter-Century Team are the also very-accomplished Teemu Selanne, Nicklas Lidstrom, Jarome Iginla, Joe Sakic, and Zdeno Chara, all of which are either hall-of-famers or soon-to-be hall-of-famers. The IIHF Men's World Championships begin this weekend, and five Sharks players and three Sharks coaches will be partaking in this tournament. They are as follows: Macklin Celebrini representing Team Canada, Pavol Regenda representing Slovakia, Will Smith representing Team USA, and Alex Wennberg representing Team Sweden. William Eklund was named to Team Sweden, but he will not be playing in the tournament due to a wrist injury he suffered after his wrist was cut by a skate blade during a practice session for Team Sweden. As for the Sharks coaches, Ryan Warsofsky, Thomas Speer, and Nick Gialdini are Team USA's head coach, goaltending coach, and video coach respectively. I certainly will not be following the IIHF World Championships as closely as the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but I hope the Sharks players and coaches in the tournament have fun and perform well there this year. 

Sources: Sharks + SAP Center App  

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Sharks Awarded No. 2 Pick in 2025 Draft

 The 2025 NHL Draft Lottery results are in, and while the Sharks did not win it again this year, the next-best scenario did occur for them. 

San Jose has landed the second overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, falling one spot from last year and this year’s original projection. This will be the fourth time in franchise history and the first time since 1997 that the Sharks will be drafting no. 2 overall, with 1997 being the year that the Sharks drafted Patrick Marleau with the second overall pick. 

As for the rest of the draft lottery results this year, the biggest surprises consisted of the New York Islanders moving up nine spots to the first overall pick and the Utah Hockey Club moving up ten spots to the fourth overall pick. Here are the full results: 

1) New York Islanders 

2) San Jose Sharks 

3) Chicago Blackhawks 

4) Utah Hockey Club 

5) Nashville Predators 

6) Philadelphia Flyers 

7) Boston Bruins 

8) Seattle Kraken 

9) Buffalo Sabres 

10) Anaheim Ducks 

11) Pittsburgh Penguins 

12) New York Rangers 

13) Detroit Red Wings 

14) Columbus Blue Jackets 

15) Vancouver Canucks 

16) Calgary Flames (Pick heading to Montreal Canadiens)

Overall, this may not be the most ideal scenario for the Sharks, but landing the second pick is certainly the next-best outcome for them. Team Teal should still be able to land star talent at no. 2 overall, most likely either defenseman Matthew Schaefer or forward Michael Misa if one or the other is available. I am definitely more satisfied than not with the Sharks falling to second overall, considering that this upcoming draft class is not expected to be as stacked as they will be in the next two years. I am also content that none of the Sharks’ Pacific Division rivals won the draft lottery this year. Regardless, I am looking forward to how the draft plays out when it rolls around in late June. 

In addition, prior to the start of the draft lottery, the NHL announced that Macklin Celebrini was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy alongside Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson and Flames goalie Dustin Wolf. Celebrini was one of the top rookies in the NHL this season and quickly became the new face of the Sharks since the moment he was drafted. He recorded 25 goals and 38 assists for 63 points in 70 games during his rookie campaign, becoming one of the NHL rookie scoring leaders and setting several Sharks rookie franchise records in the process. Celebrini is also the only NHL rookie to lead his team in scoring this season and the second rookie to ever lead the Sharks in scoring over a season, joining Pat Falloon in 1991-92. With this Calder Trophy finalist nomination, Macklin Celebrini becomes the fourth player in Sharks history to be named a Calder Trophy finalist and the first since Logan Couture in 2010-11. Celebrini has the potential to join Evgeni Nabokov in 2000-01 as only the second Sharks player to win the Calder Trophy, and I hope he can win this award this summer. For every Sharks fan, including myself, Macklin Celebrini has been in the Calder Trophy conversation all season long and instantly made a massive impact on the Sharks in his rookie season, and he has earned every bit of his Calder Trophy finalist designation. 

Sources: Sharks + SAP Center App, NHL PR 

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My 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round Predictions

 The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is now complete and the second round is about to get underway, so time for another round of predictions! But first, some brief overreactions from the first round: Most series went how I expected them to go. I thought the Lightning would put up more of a fight against the Panthers in the Battle of Florida, but the end result of the Panthers advancing in this series for the second consecutive year should not be too shocking. I am glad that the Maple Leafs avoided another epic playoff collapse against the Senators in the Battle of Ontario, more so from Toronto's perspective. It's unfortunate that the Wild were eliminated in the first round again, especially considering who they were facing this year. I felt this was the Kings' best opportunity to advance past the Oilers in the first round this year, but the Oilers found their game and dominated in the final four games of that series to eliminate LA once again, which I am totally okay with. Both Avalanche-Stars and Blues-Jets went the distance and provided epic finishes. 

The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will feature matchups that should be more interesting and provide more fireworks than those in the first round. I am especially intrigued by the upcoming series between the two remaining teams from the Metropolitan Division. Like this year's first round predictions post, I will provide my official predictions on who I think will advance to the conference finals and in how many games, along with who I want to see win each second round series. Without further ado, here they are: 

Carolina Hurricanes-Washington Capitals

Prediction: Capitals in 7

Who I Want to Win: I prefer the Capitals, but I also like the Hurricanes. Whoever wins this series is who I want to see lift the Cup this year. 

Florida Panthers-Toronto Maple Leafs

Prediction: Panthers in 6 

Who I Want to Win: Panthers 

Edmonton Oilers-Vegas Golden Knights

Prediction: Golden Knights in 7 

Who I Want to Win: Don't like either team that much, but probably Oilers 

Dallas Stars-Winnipeg Jets 

Prediction: Stars in 6 

Who I Want to Win: Stars 

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