Connor McDavid is fine, and coach Kris Knoblauch expects the best hockey player in the world to be good to go for the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday.

That is the most important thing for Edmonton gearing up for another championship series against the Florida Panthers. Also, acknowledging the notable absence of injured forward Zach Hyman, the Oilers are much closer to full strength in the rematch than they were a year ago and are not limping into the final this time around.

A smoother journey through the playoffs helps. Edmonton won each of its past two series in five games apiece, and that has allowed for some much-needed rest along the way.

“Are we 100% healthy? No, not quite, obviously with Hyman being out, which will be a huge loss,” Knoblauch said Monday. “But overall I would say we’re in a little bit better position physically.”

Reinforcements have also arrived just in time.Winger Evander Kane returned for Game 2 of the first round against Los Angeles after missing the entire regular season recovering from multiple surgeries to repair injuries that knocked him out of the Cup final a year ago when he needed injections just to be able to walk.

Defenseman Mattias Ekholm got back in the lineup for the clinching game of the Western Conference final against Dallas after thinking several weeks earlier he wouldn’t be able to play again until October.

“When doctors tell you something, they’re usually right,” Ekholm said. “Most people didn’t think I was going to be in this position.”

They didn’t have Kane healthy in last season’s final to offset Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Florida’s hard-nosed pressure. Now they do, with Kane and Corey Perry being counted on to make up for Hyman being out.

For the Panthers, only depth forward A.J. Greer’s status is any kind of a question going in.

McDavid provided some intrigue over the weekend by leaving practice after five minutes and a chat with trainers. Knoblauch brushed that off, saying the reigning playoff MVP was fine and said McDavid would practice today.

Connor Brown is also expected to be back for Game 1 Wednesday night in Edmonton after missing the conclusion of the West final.

Barkov honored

Florida’s Aleksander Barkov was named the winner of the King Clancy Trophy and the Selke Trophy on Monday. The King Clancy Trophy gets awarded to the player that combines leadership on and off the ice with humanitarian work, and the Selke Trophy is presented to the NHL’s best defensive forward.