Anaheim Ducks Lock Up Cutter Gauthier To Massive Deal
CUT IT! ✂️
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) September 16, 2026
Our man Cutter signs a six-year deal keeping him in Anaheim through 2031-32. pic.twitter.com/q2TmGNcx9o
The contract buys out one year of UFA status.
The 22-year-old Gauthier broke out big-time with 41 goals and 69 points in 76 games last season in his sophomore year in the NHL. He was a restricted free agent this offseason, as he had just completed his three-year entry-level contract.
The difficult talks with Gauthier came right down to the wire, as the Ducks' salary cap structure was thrown into disarray after the $18M AAV offer sheet signed by Leo Carlsson earlier this summer that they had no choice but to match.
To make room under the cap, they were forced to move off of some money first, leading to the waiving of Chris Kreider earlier this month.
The Ducks' cap space is now down to $2 million.
For context on how much the Carlsson deal boosted the Gauthier number, AFP Analytics had projected, going into the offseason, that Gauthier would be in line for an $8.8M AAV payday over seven years. He gets nearly $5M a year more.
Gauthier was the fifth overall selection by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2022 NHL Draft, but he forced a trade in January of 2024, indicating he had no desire to sign with the Flyers. The Ducks sent defenseman Jamie Drysdale to Philly in return.