Bob Stauffer opines injuries to vital Edmonton Oilers players played a major role in back-to-back Stanley Cup Final losses 

NHL analyst Bob Stauffer believes injuries to key players were a major factor in the Edmonton Oilers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup Final defeats.

The Oilers fell to the Florida Panthers in seven games in the 2023-24 Final, then lost in six games the following season. Speaking on the "Oilers Now" podcast, Stauffer pointed to several significant injuries that hurt the team’s chances.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played the Final with a broken hand, Zach Hyman missed the series after surgery for a dislocated wrist and Mattias Ekholm returned from an undisclosed injury but wasn’t at full strength.

"We knew Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was dealing with an injury and I knew in Game 2 that there was gonna be trouble there,” Stauffer said.

Stauffer recalled knowing during Game 2 that Nugent-Hopkins’ injury could be a turning point, especially in such a tight series:

“Obviously, Zach Hyman wasn't coming back after the dislocated wrist. Then the injury to Nugent-Hopkins, which impacted his play, though he had good energy.”

He also noted that Ekholm pushed to return but wasn’t his usual self, leading to mixed fan opinions despite being considered the team’s best defenseman earlier in the season:

“Conversely, the Oilers brought Mattias Ekholm back. He went the extra mile to get himself back in there, (but) he was not the same Mattias Ekholm…”

He further said Evan Bouchard was a game-time question at one point, though that wasn’t public knowledge during the series.

In Stauffer’s view, the combination of these injuries severely hindered Edmonton’s ability to compete at its peak when it mattered most.

Oilers GM Stan Bowman on back-to-back Stanley Cup losses

Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman opened up about the immense disappointment of falling just short in the Stanley Cup Finals not once, but twice in consecutive years.

"(Losing in the Cup Final) is not an easy pill to swallow two years in a row. We had that feeling a few years ago and last year was not any better, if not worse.” Bowman said in July via NHL.com.

“To go that far two years in a row and not be rewarded for it. So this upcoming year, excited to have a lot of the same guys back. Everyone is going to be that much hungrier," he added.

Bowman also expressed excitement about the team's roster heading into the new season. The Oilers have retained the core of their squad. Also adding several key pieces in free agency and trades.

The fresh faces joining the roster are forwards Andrew Mangiapane, David Tomasek, Isaac Howard, Curtis Lazar and Matt Savoie.