Oilers and Panthers Eye First Stanley Cup with Talented Draft Picks

EDMONTON, Alberta — The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers will face off Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT in an eagerly anticipated Stanley Cup final. This series marks an important milestone for three players drafted by the Nashville Predators, each seeking their first championship win.

The Oilers boast two Swedish players who were drafted by the Predators: defenseman Mattias Ekholm, 35, and forward Viktor Arvidsson, 32. The Panthers’ roster includes defenseman Seth Jones, Nashville’s first-round pick in 2013 and son of former NBA player Popeye Jones.

All three players were eventually traded away from Nashville. Ekholm, who is getting his third opportunity to win the Cup, was part of the Predators’ squad that reached the finals in 2017, only to lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He also played for Edmonton last season when they lost to the Panthers in a seven-game series.

Ekholm has had a successful career in Nashville, ranking sixth in games played for the franchise with 719 and tenth in career points with 268. He was traded to the Oilers in February 2023 as Nashville sought to free up salary cap space. He helped Edmonton secure their place in the finals after returning from a lower-body injury to provide an assist in their clinching Game 5 win against Dallas.

Meanwhile, Arvidsson amassed 239 points in 385 games during his time in Nashville, placing him seventh in career goals scored for the team. He was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in July 2021. After a solid regular season in 2024-25, Arvidsson has accumulated five points in 11 playoff games, despite facing healthy scratches at times.

Conversely, Jones had a brief stint in Nashville, totaling 63 points in 199 games before being traded to Columbus in January 2016. He provided a strong defensive presence for the Panthers after being acquired from Chicago before the trade deadline, contributing 16 points in 38 combined regular and playoff games.

This Stanley Cup final is set to be thrilling, with at least one of the former Predators poised to claim a championship title for the first time.