As the NHL playoffs got deeper, players on the Oilers, Panthers, Rangers and Stars raised their profile on a bigger stage leading up to this point.

We're down to two teams standing in the quest to be named the 2024 Stanley Cup Champions.

The Florida Panthers will have home-ice advantage against the Edmonton Oilers when the puck drops for Game 1 on Saturday in Sunrise. 

For two teams known for their offensive pop, it's a defenseman on each side who has really raised his profile during this post-season. And on their newly eliminated conference final foes, a pair of young forwards demonstrated why their fan bases should be excited about what lies ahead.

Here's a look at the breakout star from each of this year's four conference finalists.

Evan Bouchard, D, Edmonton Oilers

It's starting to look like Paul Coffey is as good at mentoring as he was at running a power play back in the day.

The four-time Cup champion, three-time Norris winner and Hockey Hall of Famer had been working in an advisory role with the Oilers when the team tapped him to step behind the bench and help out the defense after letting go Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson last November.

In mere months, Coffey helped turn 24-year-old Evan Bouchard into a Norris-caliber blueliner himself — playing 23 minutes a night and doubling his offense while serving as the triggerman on the NHL's best power play to the tune of 18 goals and 82 points.

In the playoffs, Bouchard outshone presumptive Norris winner Quinn Hughes in the Oilers' seven-game win over the Vancouver Canucks. 

Heading into the final, Bouchard has logged more minutes than anyone other than Dallas Stars blueliners Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Thomas Harley. 

And with two assists in Sunday's deciding Game 6, Bouchard's 27 points rank him third in playoff scoring behind only his teammates McDavid and Draisaitl. 

He's 11 points ahead of the next highest-scoring defenseman, Heiskanen, and will have a chance at stealing an all-time record from Coffey if he can put up five assists in the final.

Bouchard will be eligible for a contract extension on July 1. He has one year remaining on a bridge deal that carries a cap hit of $3.9 million, then can become an RFA with arbitration rights.

Gustav Forsling, D, Florida Panthers

Not many waiver pickups find themselves featured on camera during the opening walk-ins for a playoff game. But that's happening now for Gustav Forsling, three-and-a-half years after the Panthers made a claim from the Carolina Hurricanes.

A tournament all-star for Sweden at the 2015 world juniors, Forsling was a fifth-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks who bounced around before finding a home in Florida. 

Now playing on the Panthers' top pairing with Aaron Ekblad, he's strong on both sides of the puck and led the NHL at plus-56 during the regular season.

Teammate Matthew Tkachuk described Forsling as the Panthers' unsung hero before the playoffs even started.

"He's the best defenseman I've seen, the way he's able to skate," Tkachuk said in April. "Defensively, it would be such a pain in the you-know-want to play against him each and every night."

"We're super lucky to have him," Tkachuk added. "He's had such a great season. Just watching him each day in practice, I don't think people realize how important he is to our team. He's been amazing."

With four goals and 11 points in the playoffs, including the series-winner against Boston, Forsling is finally getting his glow-up. 

Older than the other breakout stars, he'll turn 28 on June 12, one day before Game 3. 

When he signed an eight-year extension with a cap hit of $5.75 million in March, Forsling may have left money on the table. But after such a nomadic start to his career, long-term security in a great situation could be an important part of what's helping him play the best hockey of his life.

Wyatt Johnston, F, Dallas Stars

The Stars took a chance when they selected the sharp-shooting forward 23rd overall in 2021. Johnston had been limited to just seven games during his pandemic-restricted draft year, all with Canada's U-18 team,

But Dallas's faith was well founded. After Johnston returned to the Windsor Spitfires for a league-leading 124 points in his draft-plus-one year, he seamlessly transitioned to the NHL at age 19 and brought his offense.

Following a 32-goal sophomore season, Johnston stepped up his scoring by another notch in this year's playoffs. 

He logged the overtime-winner in Game 3 against Vegas, as well as a three-point night that gave the Stars their 3-1 series lead against Colorado. When Dallas was eliminated on Sunday, Johnston's 10 goals tied him with Leon Draisaitl for second in the playoffs.

In just two NHL seasons, Johnston has already accumulated 38 playoff games. He's eligible for a contract extension starting on July 1 as he prepares to play out the third and final season of his entry-level contract.

Alexis Lafreniere, RW, New York Rangers

Still just 22 years old, the New York Rangers' first-overall pick in 2020 showed he could make things happen during the 2024 playoffs, even as his more highly touted teammates faded away.

After a career-best regular season of 28 goals and 57 points as he earned the trust of new coach Peter Laviolette, Lafreniere rebounded from a zero-point playoff run in 2023 to match teammates Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck with eight goals in 16 games this year. 

Playing over two minutes a game more than last season, all eight of Lafreniere's goals came at even strength. Most impressively, he was responsible for four of the Blueshirts' 12 tallies against the tight-checking Panthers in the Eastern Conference final.

In fact, The Hockey News' Michael Traikos listed Lafreniere as one of the NHL's most improved players this season in The Wraparound Show.

Already up to 43 playoff games over three seasons, Lafreniere is also eligible for a contract extension on July 1.

With the way he's improving, the Rangers should try to get him signed as soon as possible. He's heading into the second year of a bridge deal that carries a cap hit of $2.325 million and could become an RFA with arbitration rights in the summer of 2025.

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