The 2026 Stanley Cup Final features two teams that earned their spot the hard way. Vegas rolled through the Western Conference Final against the Presidents' Trophy winners, while Carolina needed just 13 games to dispose of its first three opponents — a 12-1 record that speaks for itself.
When the ice settles, the Golden Knights probably have the edge at the top. Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner are the kind of players who make teammates better simply by being on the ice, and their playmaking has Vegas converting at a 23.9% clip on the power play this postseason. Marner leads the playoffs with 21 points, and the Golden Knights have outscored opponents 10-7 with him at five-on-five.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
But the Hurricanes are not travelling lightly. Sebastian Aho has been an elite two-way center for years, and this final is his chance to prove it on the biggest stage. On defense, Jaccob Slavin eats minutes against top competition and has posted a 57.5% expected goals share at five-on-five over the last three seasons. He also brought home Olympic gold with Team USA in February — one of three players in this series who did.
The goaltending picture is murkier than the spotlight suggests. Carter Hart and Frederik Andersen both showed plenty of regular-season warts, and whether those resurface under Cup Final pressure remains the most honest question either team cannot answer yet.
Top 10 Players in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final
10. K'Andre Miller | D | Carolina Hurricanes
Following his trade from the New York Rangers, Miller has found his full game in Carolina's system. In these playoffs, he's posted a 64.6% expected goals share and a plus-13 goal differential at five-on-five. He's given the Hurricanes another top-four piece that could matter against Vegas.
9. Pavel Dorofeyev | RW | Vegas Golden Knights
Someone has to finish the plays Eichel and Marner make. Dorofeyev has combined for 72 goals over the last two seasons, including 20 power play tallies in the regular season. His four playoff goals are part of why the Golden Knights' man advantage has been so deadly.
8. Nikolaj Ehlers | LW | Carolina Hurricanes
Ehlers might be the fastest player in this series, and in a matchup where time and space are scarce, that speed could decide games. He finished the regular season with 27 points in his final 23 games and has nine points in the postseason.
7. Jaccob Slavin | D | Carolina Hurricanes
One of the NHL's best shutdown defensemen, Slavin logs heavy minutes against top lines and thrives in those matchups. His defensive work was on full display at the Olympics, where Team USA leaned on him for gold.
6. Shea Theodore | D | Vegas Golden Knights
Theodore remains one of the more underrated defensemen in the league. In these playoffs, the Golden Knights have allowed just 2.32 xGA/60 with Theodore on the ice at five-on-five while generating 2.9 xGF/60. He does a little bit of everything.
5. Seth Jarvis | RW | Carolina Hurricanes
Jarvis has led Carolina in goals for two straight seasons and has hit the 30-goal mark three years running. At 5-foot-10, he plays with an intensity that wins battles against bigger opponents. The issue: his playoff goal-scoring has slowed, with just three goals in 13 games on a 9.1% shooting percentage.
4. Sebastian Aho | C | Carolina Hurricanes
Aho kicks off the top four with elite two-way forwards who impact every phase of the game. He's produced at a point-per-game pace in two of the last three regular seasons. His line with Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov has underperformed in the playoffs, which may be the Hurricanes' biggest fixable problem.
3. Mark Stone | RW | Vegas Golden Knights
Even at 34, Stone plays at a Selke Trophy level. He posted a 59.2% expected goals share and a plus-19 five-on-five goal differential in the regular season. He missed Games 2 and 3 of the Western Conference Final with injury but returned with a goal in Game 4. If healthy, he's a game-changer.
2. Mitch Marner | RW | Vegas Golden Knights
Prior to this season, the lingering question about Marner was whether he could deliver when it mattered most. Playoff disappointments in Toronto tinted his resume. He has answered definitively — leading the playoffs in points while Vegas outscores opponents with him on the ice. His defense doesn't sacrifice anything either; the Golden Knights allowed just 2.21 xGA/60 with Marner in the game at five-on-five during the regular season.
1. Jack Eichel | C | Vegas Golden Knights
Eichel has pushed for the top spot throughout these playoffs. His playmaking ability and offensive vision make everyone around him better, and he's the engine that drives a Golden Knights team that finished with the best record in the NHL. When the series begins, he'll be the player the Hurricanes have to account for on every shift.