Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

2023 Stanley Cup Final picks: Golden Knights or Panthers?

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Matt Larkin | Last updated 6/2/23

The wait has been so long that it feels like the NHL offseason has fully begun. But, mercifully, the Stanley Cup Final begins Saturday with Game 1 between the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers at T-Mobile Arena in Sin City.

Both teams have defied expectations to reach the final stage before the championship summit.

Will the Golden Knights ride their forward depth and sturdy defense to their first Stanley Cup? Or will the Florida Panthers become the second No. 8 seed in NHL history to win it all?

The Daily Faceoff senior staff panel makes its predictions below for the Cup winner and Conn Smythe Trophy recipient as playoff MVP:

Name	Record	VGK/FLA	Conn Smythe
Matt Larkin	4-10	VGK in 6	Sergei Bobrovsky
Frank Seravalli	7-7	VGK in 6	Jack Eichel
Tyler Yaremchuk	6-8	Fla in 7	Matthew Tkachuk
Steven Ellis	6-8	Fla in 6	Sergei Bobrovsky
Mike McKenna	5-9	VGK in 6	Jonathan Marchessault
Nick Alberga	6-8	Fla in 6	Sergei Bobrovsky
Jason Gregor	7-7	VGK in 6	Jonathan Marchessault
Brock Seguin	7-7	Fla in 6	Sergei Bobrovsky
	CONSENSUS	Even	Sergei Bobrovsky

The incredibly unpredictable postseason continues to pummel our prognosticators, with none of us even topping a .500 record through three rounds.

The staff is evenly split in picking a series winner for the Final, with Vegas and Florida earning four votes apiece. Only one staffer has the series going seven games.

Meanwhile, half the panel likes Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky for the Conn Smythe. I’m zagging from the group by picking ‘Bob’ to become the first to win it on a losing team since Jean-Sebastien Giguere 20 years ago.

This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission.

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