The Edmonton Oilers are the defending Western Conference champions, having come within just a few steps of reaching the mountain top with their 1st trip to the Stanley Cup Final since 2006.

And while their run ended in heartbreaking fashion despite nearly pulling off a historic reverse sweep against the Florida Panthers, there was still plenty of optimism heading into 2024-25 that they'd be able to go on a second straight lengthy postseason run and this time finish the job.

But just as they did last season, the Oilers got off to a slow start. The good news is that it didn't get as bad as their awful beginning to the 2023-24 campaign that resulted in the termination of coach Jay Woodcroft, and they've mostly rebounded since and gotten back into form.

Currently sitting in 3rd place in the Pacific Division with a record of 19-11-2, they're coming off a 3-2 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins. But the Oilers' rematch on Tuesday against the Panthers had their reasons for both hope and concern during the 2024-25 season on full display.

Oilers' biggest reasons for hope during the 2024-25 season

The Oilers are fortunate to boast some of hockey's best players on their team. Of course, everyone knows about the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who are arguably the two best players in the world. Not many teams get the chance to say they have one, let alone two of the most gifted athletes ever to suit up in the sport playing for them at the same time.

McDavid has already reached the 1,000-point threshold at just 27 years of age, while Draisaitl is on pace to reach 59 goals and 69 assists. Additionally, Zach Hyman has bounced back from a slow start to the year; he scored a career-high 54 goals in 2023-24, but took several weeks to find the back of the net for his first goal in 2024-25.

But thanks to his goal on Thursday night against the Bruins, he now has a total of eight in December alone.

As long as the Oilers have one of (or both) McDavid and Draisaitl in their lineup, they're a dangerous threat to anyone who faces them.

Additionally, with Hyman rounding back into form and the depth throughout the lineup that includes offseason additions like Jeff Skinner and retained veterans like Corey Perry and Adam Henrique, Edmonton is in good shape in both their forward and defensive corps to go on a lengthy postseason run.

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Oilers' biggest reasons for concern during the 2024-25 season

Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) and Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi (13) look for the puck during the second period at Canada Life Centre.
Terrence Lee-Imagn Images

The biggest concern for the Oilers continues to be the state of their goaltending. There weren't many who thought that their decisions to retain both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard were the right moves if they had their sights set on a second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

In Tuesday's rematch against the Panthers, Skinner's doubters gained plenty of new ammunition to use against him, especially after Sam Reinhart's 3rd-period goal from below the goal line:

Many would argue that the Oilers advanced to the 2024 Cup Final in spite of Skinner's performance rather than because of it; they also were forced to go to Pickard for a short time in the postseason thanks to Skinner's struggles.

And while the Oilers were linked to names like MacKenzie Blackwood and John Gibson, new GM Stan Bowman appears content (at least for now) in trying to run it back with Skinner as the main figure in goal.