Ducks' Cutter Gauthier Nearing Eye-Popping Deal
Gauthier already turned down a four-year extension worth $13 million annually, a $52 million offer in total.
The Number Is Complicated For Anaheim
Sportsnet's Chris Johnston spoke on the situation, predicting the eventual deal will be "pretty eye popping" and that he'd expect it to get finalized before September 15, the deadline for teams to sign players to max-term, eight-year contracts under the new CBA.
Daily Faceoff's David Pagnotta went a step further when asked by Jeff Marek whether he had a read on the negotiations. "It's gonna be closer than we think to Leo Carlsson's 18 million AAV," Pagnotta said.
Chris Johnston on TSN about Cutter Gauthier: ''I don't think he's going to go full Carlsson [...] I think Gauthier is going to end up with a deal that's pretty eye-popping, and I would expect it to get done by the 15th [...]'' #FlyTogether #NHL pic.twitter.com/8KzY2dBKwu
— R i N K Y (@RinkyReport) September 8, 2026
Carlsson, Gauthier's own teammate, signed for $18 million annually this summer after the Ducks matched Philadelphia's offer sheet. San Jose's Macklin Celebrini landed $18.8 million, and Chicago's Connor Bedard settled for a relative bargain at $15 million.
Gauthier's camp can reasonably point to all three as the going rate for a young, franchise-caliber talent, and $13 million simply doesn't clear that bar.
Why Anaheim Is In This Position At All
Gauthier isn't eligible for an offer sheet the way Carlsson and Bedard were, which removes the threat of another team poaching him.
But that cuts both ways, since it also means his only real leverage is refusing to sign at all. GM Pat Verbeek has a long-standing reputation as a tough negotiator, and the length of this standoff suggests he's testing exactly how firm Gauthier's camp intends to be.
Chris Johnston: Re Ducks: I think Cutter Gauthier's going to end up with a deal that's pretty eye popping; I would expect it gets done by the 15th; they can do that 8 year deal up until the 15th - First Up (9/8)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) September 9, 2026
None of this is happening because Gauthier hasn't earned it. He set new career highs last season with 41 goals, 28 assists, and 69 points in 76 games, a massive jump from a 44-point rookie year that still finished fifth in Calder Trophy voting.
He's only 22, meaning whatever number the two sides land on will define the core of his prime.
With Johnston expecting a resolution before the 15th and the gap between Anaheim's rejected offer and Carlsson's $18 million still wide, the next several days should finally reveal just how "eye popping" this deal actually turns out to be.
