Report: Cutter Gauthier Turns Down Massive Offer From Ducks

The Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet to Leo Carlsson has made for a very difficult summer for Pat Verbeek and the Anaheim Ducks. After matching the $18 million AAV five-year offer for Carlsson, they are still faced with having to sign restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier. He of the 41-goal breakout season. 

The Ducks have reportedly offered Gauthier a 4-year deal with a $13M AAV. It has been flatly rejected by the player and his agent, Kurt Overhardt. 

Cutter Gauthier has reportedly rejected a 4-year, $13M AAV contract offer from the Anaheim Ducks, per @PaulShaheen 🫣

With just over $9M in cap space as it is, the Ducks could have some tough decisions ahead 😬 pic.twitter.com/wNFso1L6wN

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) August 17, 2026

The report comes to us from NHL Network Radio correspondent Paul Shaheen.

This is not too much of a surprise, given that Anthony Di Marco reported a few weeks back that he felt Gauthier's final number would come in closer to $16M or $17M.

Ducks' limited cap space right now isn't enough to sign Cutter Gauthier

The Ducks have only $9M in cap space, so whether it's $13M, or $16M or $17M, they've got some serious roster juggling to do to be cap compliant by the time the season gets underway.

Names like Alex Killorn ($6.25M), Chris Kreider ($6.5M), and Frank Vatrano ($4.57M) have been kicked around for weeks as cap casualties for Anaheim to get to a number that will fit the new monster contracts under their cap.

Di Marco added that "Verbeek may need to go bargain shopping for cheap free agents who are still available after he makes his moves, though it’ll surely result in an overall downgrade offensively."

Any way you look at it, Verbeek has a tough six weeks ahead of him, not only getting Gauthier under contract, but getting his team cap compliant for the start of the 2026-27 campaign.