Former Penguins To Meet in Stanley Cup Final
Three former Pittsburgh Penguins are vying for their first career Stanley Cup.
PITTSBURGH – The NHL’s Conference Champions have been crowned, and a few former Pittsburgh Penguins are off to the Stanley Cup Final. The Florida Panthers return to the Final for the second straight season and are ready for battle against the Edmonton Oilers, who have waited almost 20 years to be back in this position.
Between the Panthers and Oilers, three former Penguins have hit the ice during the postseason, and for each of them, it would be their first Stanley Cup championship.
Edmonton Oilers
Cody Ceci
Cody Ceci was only briefly a Penguin, but his 53 games in Pittsburgh were arguably part of one of the best seasons of his career. His work with the Penguins earned him a four-year contract worth $3.25 million annually.
Ceci hasn't been overly outstanding in his three seasons with the Oilers, but his offensive numbers have seen a good boost playing in the same sweater as Connor McDavid.
While the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs haven’t been particularly easy on Ceci, he did have a couple of massive moments. In Game 7 of the second round against the Vancouver Canucks, Ceci scored the opening goal in an eventual 3-2 win.
In 18 postseason games, Ceci has helped the Oilers with two goals and two assists.
Florida Panthers
Evan Rodrigues, Dmitry Kulikov
The Panthers are coming out of the East for the second straight year but seem like a much stronger group. The presence of Evan Rodrigues and Dmitry Kulikov, who arrived before the 2023-24 season, has been a massive help to their depth.
Rodrigues spent 124 games with the Penguins, and his 2021-22 season will stand as the best year of his career. In 82 games that year, Rodrigues notched 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 total points. In 80 regular season games with the Panthers, he picked up 39 points.
As a winger on the Panthers second line, Rodrigues has played alongside skilled linemates Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett. In 17 postseason games up to this point, Rodrigues has scored three goals and five assists for eight points.
Kulikov didn’t wear a Penguins uniform for long but joined the Panthers to build one of the deepest defensive groups in the NHL. Kulikov shares the third pairing with veteran blue liner Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
All three of Ceci, Rodrigues, and Kulikov are looking for their first Stanley Cup ring. Whether the Oilers earn their franchise’s sixth Stanley Cup or the Panthers hang their first Cup banner, a former Penguin will get to lift the silver chalice.
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