It’s taken a year for us to get right back to where we were in 2024: a long-haul Stanley Cup Final between the sunbelt champion Florida Panthers and the team that pushed them to the limit last year, Canada’s Edmonton Oilers.
Round 3 wasn’t as gruelling for the winners as last season, with both sides advancing in five games instead of six. But with no more than seven games remaining before we wrap the 2024-25 NHL campaign, here’s a look at six players whose narratives changed in Round 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, for better or for worse.
Winners
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, LW, Edmonton Oilers
The top-scoring players from the conference finals were a trio of Edmonton Oilers who each recorded nine points in five games against the Dallas Stars.
Naturally, two of the names were Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. But it’s impressive to see that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has kept pace. He currently sits fourth in playoff scoring with 18 points in 16 games, on track to beat his 22 points in 25 games from 2024.
Now 32, Nugent-Hopkins is frequently overshadowed by the Oilers’ superstars. Fourteen years in, the last holdover from the ‘Decade of Darkness’ is playing an impactful role as he gets his second crack at a Cup.
Seth Jones, D, Florida Panthers
With 14 points in 17 games and boundless enthusiasm for the spotlight, Brad Marchand has been the most conspicuous new addition as the Panthers try to repeat.
Meanwhile, Seth Jones has been content to fly under the radar. But after the Panthers said goodbye to defensemen Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson last summer, Jones has been their ice-time leader with 24:59 a game in the playoffs — and is bringing out the best in his partner Niko Mikkola.
After nearly four years in purgatory in Chicago, Jones is showing no sign of wilting in his first playoff experience beyond the second round. Once considered a potential Norris Trophy candidate, Jones is the latest trade acquisition to tap into his best self after arriving in South Florida.
Troy Stecher, D, Edmonton Oilers
Has a journeyman defenseman ever received such a glow-up this late in the playoffs? Swapped in for Ty Emberson late in Round 2, Stecher made the most of every minute of his ice time for the next six games. He provided a calming presence for partner Darnell Nurse as Edmonton outscored its opponents 3-0 at 5-on-5 when he was on the ice.
Playing with heart and determination that makes up for what he lacks in stature, Stecher gave his all when called upon, then ceded his spot graciously when Mattias Ekholm suited up for Game 5 against Dallas.
“I want him healthy and I want him to help us win,” Stecher said. “He’s a better player than I am. That’s just the reality of the world.”
That type of team-first attitude goes a long way when building a champion.
Losers
Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas Stars
A third-straight conference final loss would inevitably have made tongues wag about whether the Stars’ starting goaltender has the mettle to take his team to a title. But Peter DeBoer’s dramatic decision to yank Jake Oettinger just 7:09 into a potential elimination game poured gasoline onto that spark.
Oettinger announced himself as a big-game goalie in the 2022 playoffs, posting a 1.81 goals-against average and .954 save percentage in the Stars’ first-round loss to the Calgary Flames.
But now that DeBoer has brought it up, it’s hard not to un-see the fact that Oettinger hasn’t played to that same standard in his three subsequent runs. Though he’s second only to Sergei Bobrovsky in games played (56) and wins (29) over the last three years, Oettinger’s .905 save percentage and 2.69 GAA over the same timeframe come in below not just Bobrovsky but also goalies like Igor Shesterkin, Adin Hill, Frederik Andersen, Jeremy Swayman, Logan Thompson and others.
Next season, Oettinger starts an eight-year contract extension that carries a cap hit of $8.25 million. And he has no trade protection in Year 1, before a full no-movement clause kicks in.
With cap space at a premium in Dallas, is Oettinger’s long-term future with the team that drafted him suddenly in doubt?
Taylor Hall, LW, Carolina Hurricanes
It’s not all bad. Taylor Hall’s January trade from the Blackhawks to the Carolina Hurricanes earned him a spot in the conference final for the first time in his 15-year career.
His 18 points in 31 regular-season games with Carolina also earned the 33-year-old a new three-year contract with a no-move clause. That could give him a shot at more playoff runs in future seasons.
But after collecting six points in 10 games through the Hurricanes’ first two playoff rounds and earning first-star honors in Game 4 against Washington, Hall struggled against the mighty Panthers.
He wasn’t just pointless. Hall wasn’t on the ice for a single 5-on-5 Canes goal in the series, while the Panthers scored six times at 5-on-5 with Hall on the ice. It was a disappointing finish to what was looking like a successful change of scenery for the 2018 Hart Trophy winner.
Mikko Rantanen, RW, Dallas Stars
If only the Stars could have played the Colorado Avalanche in every series.
After almost single-handedly eliminating his old team with 12 points in Round 1, Mikko Rantanen suffered an unfortunate case of diminishing returns as the playoffs progressed. He collected seven points in Round 2 against the Winnipeg Jets, all in the first four games. Against the Oilers, he settled for just three points, all assists, and he was on the ice for just two goals at 5-on-5, compared to five against.
Rantanen bowed out of the playoffs with 22 points in 18 games. That’s on par with his career post-season scoring rate, but after seizing savior status early on in the Lone Star State, he couldn’t make a difference against the Oilers when Dallas desperately needed goals.
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