Let’s go back to last fall. The Edmonton Oilers were starting Ty Conklin in net and had signed Chris Pronger, the big and very good defenseman. They were a small-market, middle-salary team that might make it to the playoffs.

The Carolina Hurricanes were starting Martin Gerber in net with a backup named Cam Ward who had never played an NHL game. They had one 20-goal scorer in Cory Stillman and he came as a free agent.

Flash ahead to Monday. These two teams will meet in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Carolina will have Ward in net. He has the second best goals-against average in the playoffs. He has been in net as the team upset Montreal, New Jersey, and Buffalo.

The Hurricanes have scorers in Eric Staal, who leads them in points in the playoffs; Stillman, who has done the offensive job as hoped for; and Rod Brind’Amour, who has been the veteran begging for a chance at the Cup and playing with a youthful ferocity.

Edmonton will have Dwayne Roloson in net, a bounced-about player nobody wanted who has led them in upsets over Detroit, San Jose, and Anaheim.

Pronger is bidding for the Con Smyth Award, the Finals MVP, and Oiler Shawn Horcoff, their first-line center, is leading them in playoff points. Fernando Pisani is their leading goal scorer in the postseason.

Talk about the most unlikely Final. This has to be it.

These are the new NHL teams. They are quick, their defenses are mobile and able to move the puck, and both teams live off mistakes generated by grind-it-out play.

Carolina has the best power play in the postseason and Edmonton the best penalty kill. Edmonton has had eight days to wait around while the Hurricanes finished up Thursday night in a grueling series with Buffalo.

The off time is always an issue. Edmonton will have to explode out of the tunnel in Game 1 to blow away the rust and withstand a home-ice 10-minute onslaught by the Hurricanes.

There is little to separate these teams. Both goaltenders could implode at any moment, but they have had every chance to do that against tough opponents in the playoffs and have not. Both teams are scoring 3 goals a game and giving up 2.4. Both have won every playoff game where they led after one period.

The story lines on Carolina players’ connections to Edmonton are wonderful. The Canes’ Ward is from Edmonton, where he will be married this summer. Doug Weight is a former Oiler captain where he played for nine years.

Ray Whitney was a stickboy for the Oilers growing up, and his dad was a practice goaltender for Edmonton. Mike Commodore grew up just outside Edmonton and the Oilers were his dream team.

They will all come to the Finals in Hurricane jerseys.

This is a small-market, see what we can do without a lot of money Final. The locals in both cities are bonkers over the matchup, and the NHL hopes some of that joy and interest rubs off on fans elsewhere.

All Stanley Cup Finals are played with supreme effort. This will be no different. Edmonton must find some scorers or Roloson will have to be a superstar.

Carolina has better offensive depth and that gives the Hurricanes the edge. However, as we can tell from the teams in the Final, this is not a year to place much faith in what should be.

Old Town native Gary Thorne is an ESPN and ABC sportscaster.