At this time of year, who doesn't love an X-factor?

Aside from it being up there in the realm of elite postseason-related jargon along with stranglehold, barnburner, and on-the-brink, it's a term that regularly gets circulated during playoff competition due to the tendency of unsung heroes to make their mark when the lights are brightest. Players on both the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers that aren't considered 'big guns' are going to need to step and make a difference during the Stanley Cup Final if either team hopes to be the one taking home the hardest trophy to win in all of professional sports.

Paul Maurice has his Panthers clicking at both ends of the ice right now as a relentless and tough group that is very difficult to matchup against. Florida are the deserving back-to-back Eastern Conference champions but with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the boys rolling into town an extremely confident bunch leading the playoffs in both power play and penalty kill efficiency, an unheralded Panther – or two – has to be an impact player when it matters most.

Who will that be? Let's take a look at some options.

Evan Rodrigues

Heading into the last fantasy draft season Rodrigues' name was a popular one on the keeper/dynasty side of things as the perfect backend-of-the-draft target. After a hot start of eight points in six games, a lot of GMs were benefiting from immediate production from a player in Rodrigues that was fitting in nicely in the top six on his new Florida team while displaying excellent playmaking skills and utilizing his underrated shot. Fast-forward to the end of the 2023-24 campaign and Rodrigues fell back to earth in a big way into a bottom-six role and the 40-point range where he's operated for most of his career.

With that said however, Rodrigues has been effective in these playoffs forming chemistry on Maurice's second line alongside Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk while putting up solid numbers to the tune of three goals, five assists, 43 hits, and 32 shots on net. Much like other names below, Rodrigues fits the bill, no pun intended, as the ideal Bill Zito addition who flies under-the-radar but can get it done when the chips are down.

Penalty Killing Units

If you haven't been paying attention to how unbelievably good the Oilers' special teams have been this postseason, you likely should start … immediately. Edmonton has been suffocating on the PK and back-breakingly effective on the PP. Head coach Kris Knoblauch deserves a lot of credit for implementing a new defensive scheme that's led the Oilers to not allow a power-play goal in 10 consecutive postseason games and he deserves even more for his team's recommitment to a defensive brand of hockey. Although, something's got to give and we're looking squarely at the Florida penalty killing units, both of them will need to elevate their play to another level to deal with magic that McJesus is cooking up right now.
The Panthers are also feeling it on the kill and flaunt the second-best PK in the postseason right behind Edmonton at 88.2 percent. They can't let Edmonton get comfortable on the man advantage and allow Evan Bouchard to feed the puck all over the ice opening lanes and opportunities for Oilers shooters. Special teams in the playoffs – you've heard this narrative before but for good reason. If the Cats want to slow down the offensive juggernaut that Edmonton can be they will need to shut things down with both PK units. Bottom line.

Anton Lundell

Shoutout to Billy Z in the Panthers' front office for yet another bit of masterclass in player development, as Lundell is one more shining example of the low-key-type player this team is anchored by. Just two years removed from finishing sixth in Calder Trophy voting, Lundell is only 22 years old with 47 games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience already under his belt to go along with 23 postseason points. Factor in the three seasons and 20 games of postseason action he saw in the Finnish Elite League and Lundell's an experienced playoff performer with a two-way game that can be a difference-maker in this series. Keep an eye on him over the next two weeks and into the upcoming draft season, Lundell is a sneaky-good forward with 20-plus goal potential.

Gustav Forsling

Hands in the air if you had Gustav Forsling as the Panthers points leader by a D-man on your playoff bingo card? That's what we thought. Forsling is not only having a sensational playoff with 11 points, 43 shots on net, 31 hits, and 23 blocked shots, but he's playing his way up fantasy hockey draft boards next season as a player who will get an excellent chance to run it back next campaign on a very good Florida squad. Forsling has been operating under-the-radar for his entire career, but if he keeps playing like he is now and becomes an X-factor in the Cup Final, his underrated status will quickly evaporate.

Vladimir Tarasenko

This one might be the most obvious choice considering Tarasenko's track record as an elite NHL sniper who's put up 70 points in 114 career playoff games, but the fact remains that he fits the bill as an X-factor who will get the opportunity to do what he does best: score big goals. Tarasenko has only three tallies through 17 games this postseason but given the relative weakness of the Oilers bottom-six, especially third line, Tarasenko and his linemates in Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen should have a very good look to get to Stuart Skinner and put some goals on the board.