Cutter Gauthier signs monster deal with the Anaheim Ducks
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
The Anaheim Ducks have locked up their franchise cornerstone. Pierre LeBrun confirmed Monday that Cutter Gauthier has agreed to a six-year contract extension with an average annual value of $13.5 million, ending months of speculation over the restricted free agent's next deal.
The total package is worth $81 million and runs through the 2031-32 season, cementing the 22-year-old winger as the centerpiece of Anaheim's young core alongside Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish.
Gauthier, who was traded from Philadelphia to Anaheim in the Jamie Drysdale deal, exploded in his second full NHL season with 41 goals and 69 points in 76 games, then added 12 points in 12 playoff games as the Ducks upset the Edmonton Oilers before falling to Vegas in the second round.
Why This Is Massive for Gauthier
This deal rewards Gauthier for one of the best sophomore campaigns by a young power forward in recent memory.
At $13.5 million per year, he lands just above the middle of the range LeBrun projected and firmly establishes him among the league's top-paid wingers.
He joins names like Connor Bedard in the new wave of star extensions signed under the league's updated CBA rules on contract term and structure.
For a player who wasn't even eligible for arbitration or an offer sheet, this is a massive show of good faith and long-term commitment from Anaheim.
Why This Is Massive for Anaheim
For the Ducks, locking up Gauthier removes the last major piece of unfinished offseason business under GM Pat Verbeek.
Who already had to navigate a difficult cap crunch after matching Carlsson's five-year, $90 million offer sheet from Philadelphia and terminating Chris Kreider's contract to create room.
Getting Gauthier signed before training camp fully opens gives Anaheim cost certainty on its two building blocks and signals the front office believes this core is ready to contend.
With opening night against Vegas approaching on October 2, the Ducks now enter the season with their top two young stars locked in for the long haul.
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