A lot has changed since the Ducks last step foot on home ice, such as the departure of players like Frederik Andersen, David Perron and Jamie McGinn, and former head coach Bruce Boudreau, who is now behind the Minnesota Wild bench.
Randy Carlyle is back for a second stint with the club he's had the most success with over his NHL coaching career, while Antoine Vermette, Jonathan Bernier and Mason Raymond begin their first seasons in Anaheim.
The Coyotes, who held a split-squad game against the Kings last night, will dress a lineup similar to the one used in Los Angeles. Former Ducks left wing McGinn is likely to be among them, which also includes Anthony Duclair, Jakob Chychrun and Lawson Crouse.
Ducks players taking part in the pregame skate suggest Vermette makes his preseason debut tonight, along with Raymond, while 2016 draft picks Max Jones (24th overall), Josh Mahura (85th overall) and Tyler Soy (205th overall) also figure to be in the lineup.
It's a significant moment for the 18-year-old Jones, who never before skated on Honda Center ice.
"It seemed pretty surreal going through drills and thinking about where you are," said the Rochester, Michigan native. "It's crazy, the road I've been down. I just need to put it aside and play my game."
And while he got a feel for what it's like wearing a Ducks sweater in two rookie games earlier this month, nothing quite compares to wearing it at the NHL level.
"It's very special to me," said Jones. "It's the pros now and it's an NHL preseason. I'm trying not to get too wide-eyed about it, but I'm trying to put all the nerves aside and play my game."
Ducks veteran Andrew Cogliano says this preseason in particular is important for several reasons.
"You want to start getting comfortable with how [Carlyle] runs the bench, how he makes adjustments and the system tweaks we've made," Cogliano said. "Especially with a new coach, you want to get comfortable. The only way to do that is to get in them, play well and be prepared."
Don't focus too much on the final score in these preseason games, Cogliano advises, whose focus instead is playing the game the right way.
"I don't think you can look too much into the games other than wanting to be competitive and playing against guys not on your team," said Cogliano. "The important thing for me is finding what I do well and playing the right way. You could sometimes sleepwalk through games and feel your way in, but it's important for not only young guys but guys like myself to go in and do what we do well right away."
