Oilers' Evander Kane highlights the 'right way to play against' Mikko Rantanen for conference Finals battle 

The Edmonton Oilers are set to finally begin their third-round series against the Dallas Stars. Edmonton has been off for a full week after shutting out the Vegas Golden Knights 1-0 in overtime on May 14 to win their second-round series in five games.

For several days, the Oilers were waiting on their Round 3 opponent. On Saturday night, the Dallas Stars eliminated the Winnipeg Jets, finalizing a Western Conference Final rematch against Edmonton. The Oilers beat the Stars in six games last year. Much is the same with these two teams in 2025, though the biggest difference is that Dallas now has Mikko Rantanen.

Evander Kane was asked what Edmonton would have to do to slow Rantanen down.

"Play big, powerful, and skilled," Kane said. "He's obviously a great player. He's a big body out there and has a great set of hands. So, like any player, you want to play them hard, whether that's Rantanen, whether that's Tyler Seguin, or Cody Ceci, you want to play them hard at this time of the year.

"I think both teams understand that, and it's going to be a battle with everybody in their lineup and with everybody in our lineup. He's obviously had a great playoff, and hopefully we can play him hard," Kane added.

Mikko Rantanen leads the postseason in scoring with 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 13 games.

Evander Kane is feeling much better physically in this year's Western Conference Final

Evander Kane played through injuries in last year's third-round matchup against Dallas. But after missing the entire 2024-25 regular season, he feels much healthier heading into the rematch.

"Yeah, obviously a lot different. I feel healthy; I feel good. I feel capable to do what I need to do on the ice as of right now. And, you know, looking forward to having a good series," Kane said (0:07).

Evander Kane has produced seven points (four goals, three assists) in 10 games this postseason.

Kane and the Oilers begin their third-round series against the Stars on Wednesday night in Dallas. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EST at American Airlines Center.