The 2026 Stanley Cup Final features two teams that earned the ir spots very differently. The Golden Knights rolled through the Presidents' Trophy winners in the West. The Hurricanes quietly went 12-1 through three rounds, barely breaking sweat. What the y share is a roster full of players who collected Olympic gold in February and now want a second trophy this year.
Why This Series Could Go Either Way
Vegas has Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner—the kind of pairing that makes defensive coordinators lose sleep. Carolina counters with Sebastian Aho, who has been one of the better two-way centers in the league for years with out getting the attention that usually comes with it. That discrepancy alone is worth watching.
Both teams also feature goaltenders—Carter Hart for Philadelphia and Frederik And ersen for Carolina—who showed cracks during the regular season. Whether those cracks resurface under playoff pressure might decide games more than any star performance.
The Top 10 Players in the Final
10. K'And re Miller, D, Carolina Hurricanes
Following his trade from Broadway, Miller found a home in Carolina's system and has delivered a 64.6% expected goals share with a plus-13 goal differential this postseason. The Hurricanes needed another top-four defender, and the y got one.
9. Pavel Dorofeyev, RW, Vegas Golden Knights
Someone has to finish the passes from Eichel and Marner. Dorofeyev, 25, scored 72 goals over the last two season s and added four more in the playoffs. He's converted on 23.9% of Golden Knights power plays so far.
8. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Carolina Hurricanes
Ehlers may be the fastest player in this series, and in a Final where space is scarce, speed becomes a weapon. He recorded nine points in the Eastern Conference Final, including five in the last four games.
7. Jaccob Slavin, D, Carolina Hurricanes
One of the league's premier shutdown defensemen, Slavin logs heavy minutes against top competition and has done it effectively enough to earn Olympic gold with Team USA. He'll be on the ice often enough that you'll stop noticing.
6. Shea The odore, D, Vegas Golden Knights
The odore remains underrated nationally despite consistently dominating his minutes. The Golden Knights have allowed just 2.32 expected goals against per 60 minutes with him on the ice at five-on-five while generating 2.9 expected goals for.
5. Seth Jarvis, RW, Carolina Hurricanes
Jarvis has scored 30-plus goals in three straight season s and plays with a energy that belies his 5-foot-10 frame. His postseason scoring (three goals in 13 games) lags behind his regular-season production, though his career 14.2% shooting percentage suggests regression toward the mean.
4. Sebastian Aho, C, Carolina Hurricanes
Aho represents the quiet excellence running through Carolina's top forward group—a second consecutive point-per-game season in the regular season, though his line with Jarvis and And rei Svechnikov has yet to fully click in the playoffs.
3. Mark Stone, RW, Vegas Golden Knights
At 34, Stone remains a Selke-level player who drives play through intelligent two-way play. He posted a 59.2% expected goals share in the regular season and missed Games 2 and 3 of the Western Conference Final with injury before returning with a decisive goal in Game 4.
2. Mitch Marner, RW, Vegas Golden Knights
Marner answered years of playoff criticism in Toronto by leading the postseason with 21 points. He's converted that offensive ability into responsible two-way play, with Vegas allowing just 2.21 expected goals against per 60 minutes with him on the ice.
1. Jack Eichel, C, Vegas Golden Knights
Eichel anchors a Golden Knights attack that steamrolled the Presidents' Trophy holders. His interplay with Marner gives Vegas the kind of top-line chemistry that shifts series momentum in ways opposing coaches struggle to counter.