NHL player props for Stanley Cup Final Game 6: Sam Bennett among Tuesday's best bets
SportsLine NHL analyst Scott Erskine, who has hit on 10 of his 17 best bets (+777) in the series, gives his thoughts and top picks for Tuesday's Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers
The reigning champion Florida Panthers look to become the third team in the Salary Cap Era to win back-to-back titles when they host the Edmonton Oilers for Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday. Florida, which defeated Edmonton in seven games last year to win the Cup for the first time in franchise history, is one victory away from joining the 2016-17 Pittsburgh Penguins and 2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning as the only clubs to capture consecutive championships since the NHL implemented a salary cap for the 2005-06 season.
The Panthers, who let a 3-0 series lead in the Final disappear last postseason before edging the Oilers 2-1 in Game 7, went up 3-2 in this year's rematch with a dominant 5-2 triumph on Saturday. Brad Marchand tallied twice, Sam Bennett scored his league-leading 15th goal of the playoffs, and Eetu Luostarinen recorded a goal and an assist as Florida netted at least five tallies for the third time in the Final and 12th this postseason.
Marchand has scored six goals over the first five games of the series, making him the seventh player in NHL history to register five or more in multiple Stanley Cup Finals and the first since Mario Lemieux accomplished the feat with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992. The 37-year-old Marchand netted five tallies for the Boston Bruins in the 2011 Final against the Vancouver Canucks.
Marchand's six goals are the most by a player in the Final since Edmonton's Esa Tikkanen recorded the same amount in 1988 against Boston. He needs one to tie Jean Beliveau (1956), Mike Bossy (1982) and Wayne Gretzky (1985) for the most in a Stanley Cup Final in the past 100 years.
With his fifth tally of the series on Saturday, Bennett joined Marchand to form the sixth pair of teammates in league history and the first since Yvan Cournoyer and Frank Mahovlich of the 1973 Montreal Canadiens with at least five goals apiece in the same Stanley Cup Final.
Connor McDavid and Corey Perry scored in Game 5 for the Oilers, who have won seven of their last nine road games this postseason, four consecutive Game 6s and 11 of their past 12. McDavid is tied with teammate Leon Draisaitl for the playoff lead with 33 points but has registered only two over his last three contests after posting five consecutive multi-point performances.
The Panthers are hoping to join the 1979 Canadiens and 1985 Oilers as the only clubs to win back-to-back championships after facing a series deficit in the Final in their attempts to repeat. Edmonton is two victories away from becoming the first Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup since the 1993 Canadiens.
Here are some players with value to consider when making NHL player prop bets for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Sam Bennett, Panthers: Anytime goal scorer (+180, DraftKings)
Bennett began the postseason with a trend of two contests with at least one goal and two with none, alternating over his first 16 games. The 28-year-old then went on a four-game run that began with Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes, during which he scored five times, and tallied again on Saturday after being limited to an assist in Game 4. Bennett has recorded only two of his 15 playoff goals at home, but with Florida looking to avoid a trip to Edmonton for a Game 7, I expect him to put the pedal to the metal and potentially conclude the postseason with the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Evan Rodrigues, Panthers: 1+ assist (+186, FanDuel)
Rodrigues has been streaky when it comes to notching assists this postseason. After registering only three over his first nine games, the 31-year-old center collected seven during a four-game streak. He failed to record any over the final two contests of the conference final but picked up one in each of the first three games of this series. Rodrigues enters Tuesday with another two-game drought, so it wouldn't be surprising if he ended it while helping the Panthers win the championship.
Corey Perry, Oilers: 1+ point (+108, FanDuel)
Perry is fifth on the Oilers with 14 points this postseason, his highest playoff total since he recorded 18 with the Anaheim Ducks in 2015. The 40-year-old right wing, who intends to return for his 21st career NHL season in 2025-26, has registered five goals and a pair of assists while landing on the scoresheet in six of his last seven contests. Dating back to last year's Stanley Cup Final, Perry had notched a point in six of his last nine playoff games against the Panthers.
Anton Lundell, Panthers: Over 0.5 points (+140, bet365)
Lundell has been a major contributor for the second consecutive postseason, as he has amassed 17 points in 22 games, matching the playoff career-high total he recorded in 2024. The 23-year-old Finnish center registered five points in the seven-game Final against the Oilers last year and has notched five over the first five contests of this series. Lundell, who racked up five points in two regular-season meetings with Edmonton in 2024-25, enters Tuesday with a four-game streak during which he has produced a goal and four assists. I like him to extend the run in Game 6.
