There’s an obvious storyline here, but let’s just not go with it.

The Edmonton Oilers face the Florida Panthers on Saturday night, and everyone’s gonna want to call it a rematch of last season’s Stanley Cup Final.

After all, these are the two teams that have played a total of 13 games in pursuit of two Stanley Cups over the past two years. The heartbreak is still fresh. The memory of being a couple of wins away and then watching it all slip away hasn’t faded. It makes sense that fans want this game to mean something more.

But it doesn’t. This isn’t a rematch. It’s a regular-season game in November between two teams that look nothing like, and play nothing like, the ones that met in June.

Last season, everything was on the line. Saturday night is worth two points. That’s it. The Oilers need those points badly at 9-9-5, but this isn’t elimination hockey. This is just trying to stay afloat in November.

The rosters are different. Florida moved out pieces after winning the Cup. They’ve dealt with countless injuries to important players. These are not the Florida Panthers that ground Edmonton down through six games in the spring. The Oilers have changed, too. Different players are contributing. Different lineup combinations. So remember, these aren’t the same teams, not even close.

And the context is completely different. Last season’s Final came after both teams proved themselves through multiple playoff rounds. They were battle-tested and playing their best hockey. Now? Florida is 10-9-1 and managing. Edmonton is below .500 and still trying to figure out how to play the same way twice. Neither team looks like a contender right now.

So, forget this being a rematch; these are two teams who played in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals against each other, and are now still firmly locked out of the playoff picture.

The problem with calling this a rematch is that it creates expectations that don’t fit reality. Fans will want redemption or revenge or some kind of emotional payoff for June’s loss. When the game doesn’t deliver that—because it’s November hockey with completely different circumstances—the letdown hits harder than it should.

What tonight should actually be about is simpler. The Oilers need to prove they can play good hockey two games in a row. They played well on Thursday against Tampa. Can they do it again? That’s what matters. Two points. Showing Thursday wasn’t a one-off. Building something consistent instead of reverting to the mess they’ve been most of this season.

The Cup Final is over. Florida won. Edmonton lost. That chapter closed in June, and tonight doesn’t reopen it, no matter how much anyone wants it to. This is a new season. Different challenges. Different context. The Oilers aren’t playing the team that beat them for the Cup—they’re playing a team that happens to have the same name and wears the same colours.

Treating this like a rematch just adds pressure to something that’s already important. The Oilers need points. They need to build on Thursday. They need to show they can sustain effort and structure. That’s plenty of motivation without piling on emotional baggage from six months ago.

The real rematch happens if both teams make it back to the Final. Until then, this is November hockey. Two points at stake. That’s what this game is. Not redemption. Not revenge. Just another game where they need to show up and play the right way.

The emotional weight fans put on this makes sense. June’s loss hurt. Seeing Florida on the schedule brings all that back. But this isn’t about June. It’s about trying to climb back to .500 and figure out how to play consistent hockey.

That’s already enough to care about.

Kris Knoblauch has confirmed that Jake Walman is day-to-day, but should not miss extended time.

Noah Philp has recently been placed on LTIR, sparking Connor Clattenburg’s call-up from the AHL Bakersfield Condors.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Kasperi Kapanen, and Curtis Lazar are still out.