The 2026 Stanley Cup Final features two teams that earned their way here through very different paths. Vegas rolled through the Presidents' Trophy winners in the West. Carolina needed 13 games to finish off the East, winning in seven and then six. What they share is a roster loaded with talent on both sides of the puck.
When the ice is tilted toward one end, the Golden Knights have the edge at the top of the lineup. Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner are the type of players who make their teammates better simply by being on the ice. That's the kind of star power that gets noticed in June.
The Hurricanes will counter with their own weapons. Sebastian Aho has been one of the league's best two-way centers for years now, quietly dominating matchups without the spotlight. Jaccob Slavin operates the same way on defense—elite, minutes-eating, and largely unheralded outside Carolina's locker room.
Cup Final Top 10 Players
This list reflects who has raised their game most in these playoffs.
10. K'Andre Miller (D, Carolina). A change of scenery unlocked something. In New York, he was solid. In Carolina, he's been essential—a 64.6% expected goals share and plus-13 goal differential show a player finally in the right system.
9. Pavel Dorofeyev (RW, Vegas). At 25, he's become the finishing touch Eichel and Marner needed. Twenty power-play goals in the regular season is no small thing when you're playing second-line minutes.
8. Nikolaj Ehlers (LW, Carolina). He's the fastest player on either team—possibly the entire playoffs. Speed matters when every inch of ice is contested.
7. Jaccob Slavin (D, Carolina). The numbers speak: 57.5% expected goals share over three seasons against top competition. Three seasons of proof should be enough for anyone paying attention.
6. Shea Theodore (D, Vegas). Still underappreciated nationally, Theodore does everything well. The Golden Knights allow just 2.32 Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes with him on the ice. That's elite company.
5. Seth Jarvis (RW, Carolina). At 5-foot-10, he plays like he's six inches taller. The inconsistency in the postseason is notable—he's at 9.1% shooting compared to his career 14.2%. Something will break soon.
4. Sebastian Aho (C, Carolina). A familiar name in this bracket because he belongs there. Point-per-game pace in the regular season for the second time in three years. His line with Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov has been quiet, and that might be the Hurricanes' x-factor.
3. Mark Stone (RW, Vegas). Thirty-four years old and still driving play at a Selke-level. He's battled injury through these playoffs, missing games in the West Final. When healthy, he changes how Vegas approaches games.
2. Mitch Marner (RW, Vegas). The playoff questions are answered. Twenty-one points leads the postseason. Ten goals for, seven against at five-on-five. He arrived when it mattered most.
1. Jack Eichel (C, Vegas). The anchor. When Eichel plays, Vegas wins. It's that straightforward. He leads because he has carried this team through three rounds.
The goaltending situation deserves mention even if neither Carter Hart nor Frederik Andersen cracked the top 10. Both have shown cracks during the season. The team that manages that inconsistency better gets to lift the Cup.