Coming into the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, the two finalists had been on a roll. But by June 17, while the Florida Panthers had successfully established themselves as a dynasty in the making, the Edmonton Oilers were left as the runners-up once again.

However, while some have attributed this win to Sergei Bobrovsky’s better goaltending compared to Stuart Skinner’s struggles, others blame the Oilers’ lukewarm attack. However, a new report by Puckpedia suggests something different.

And the Oilers fans aren’t taking the stats given too kindly.

Why Are Oilers Fans Furious About the Cap Hit Numbers?

While the NHL has a clearly defined cap hit of $88 million for teams across the league, a recently posted report by Puckpedia shows a clear difference between the two finalists. And this has angered the fans.

The report mentions, “We calculated the new Playoff Cap Hit for the rosters that played in the final 2025 Cup Final Game: #LetsGoOilers Playoff Cap Hit was $80.6M vs $88M Cap #TimetoHunt Playoff Cap Hit was $93.0M vs $88M Cap.”

With a clear $13 million difference in the playoff cap hit, one fan jumped the queue and mentioned, “The $13 million difference showed on the ice too.” The fan was not wrong to say this since the clear gap in the offense and defense of the two teams was visible in the Finals.

But while the Panthers outclassed the Oilers in the six games, the difference in cap hit can simply be attributed to LTIR (Long-Term Injured Reserve) conditions and Florida being a state-tax-free state, making things different. But as one fan says, “Easy to win when you don’t follow the cap 💀💀.”

The Panthers also utilized the fact that the cap doesn’t apply during playoffs. So, players who were on LTIR exemption can be activated post-regular season. But a few fans have been pretty riled up with the situation.

How Did the Panthers Navigate Around the Salary Cap Rules?

As one fan writes, “Unreal. F**ing clowns. The Ekblad suspension conspiracy worked out flawlessly.” Ekblad was suspended for 20 games, which saw him miss the final 18 regular-season games and the first two playoff games, meaning he came under LTIR.

This allowed the Panthers to operate despite a noticeable increase in cap hit. But on the flip side, the reason behind the Oilers’ cap hit being less than the limit in the Finals can simply be given to Zack Hyman being injured through the playoffs and missing the Finals.

Meanwhile, another fan mentions how Florida has been simply bending the rules, saying, “No doubt… Florida taking full advantage.” While technically President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Zito and the Panthers have been playing by the rules, the coincidences and the tax exemption have left the Oilers fans fuming.