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Hockey fever returns to Southern California as the Kings and Ducks battle through preseason, giving fans their first taste of what's to come in the 2024-25 NHL campaign.

The biggest story emerging from Anaheim comes with Mason McTavish finally ending his contract standoff, signing a six-year deal worth $7 million annually. This agreement puts to rest weeks of frustration among Ducks faithful who witnessed previous young stars like Zegras and Drysdale struggle after missing valuable training camp time. The timing allows their promising center to integrate with new coach Joel Quenneville's system before meaningful games begin.

On the ice, Los Angeles has jumped to a perfect 3-0 preseason record, including two victories over their rivals from Orange County. While exhibition results rarely translate to regular season success, several Kings prospects have seized their opportunity. Carter George has been stellar between the pipes, while Alex Turcott and Jeff Millot appear ready to claim roster spots, particularly with Corey Perry sidelined. The Kings' depth scoring and improved backup goaltending from Anton Forsberg should encourage fans heading into October.

The Ducks (1-2) have shown flashes of potential, particularly in their dominant 6-1 win over Utah where Matthew Phillips netted two goals and Jackson LaCombe contributed three assists. However, offensive consistency remains elusive, as evidenced by their 14-shot performance in a shutout loss to LA. The bright spot continues to be Lukas Dostal's development in net.
League-wide, significant injuries to stars like Jamie Benn (collapsed lung) and Aleksander Barkov (season-ending knee surgery) have reshaped expectations for their respective teams. Meanwhile, frustrations mount regarding Victory Plus broadcasts, where technical issues plague the viewing experience for dedicated fans.

What team will rise in the Pacific Division this season? Will McTavish live up to his contract? Can the Kings' prospect pipeline deliver another playoff run? The answers begin to unfold when the puck drops for real in October.

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