Ducks sign Cutter Gauthier to a monster, six year deal

Cutter Gauthier’s time with the Anaheim Ducks has taken another major step forward, and it came after what turned into a surprisingly complicated offseason for the young forward. The Ducks have finally reached an agreement with Gauthier on a six-year contract worth $81 million, or $13.5 million per season, keeping one of the most important pieces of their young core under contract through his prime.

The negotiations were anything but straightforward, however. Gauthier entered the offseason as a restricted free agent after a breakout 2025-26 campaign in which he scored 41 goals and 69 points, leading Anaheim in scoring. That production gave Gauthier and his representatives plenty of leverage, and reports surfaced that he had rejected an earlier four-year offer from the Ducks worth $13 million annually.

That contract standoff became even more complicated after Anaheim matched a massive offer sheet for fellow young star Leo Carlsson. The Ducks ultimately retained Carlsson on a five-year, $90 million contract, giving him an $18 million annual cap hit. That deal immediately created a difficult salary-cap puzzle for general manager Pat Verbeek, who still had to find the money to sign Gauthier.

And that brings us to Chris Kreider.

Just one year after acquiring the veteran forward, the Ducks placed Kreider on unconditional waivers with the intention of terminating his contract. Kreider had one season remaining at a $6.5 million cap hit, and after going unclaimed, his contract was terminated. Anaheim specifically cited the need for additional salary-cap flexibility as it worked to re-sign Gauthier.

It was a pretty remarkable sequence of events. Anaheim had brought in Kreider to provide veteran leadership and scoring, and he delivered with 50 points in 75 games during his lone season with the Ducks. But the team's commitment to Carlsson and now Gauthier ultimately made his contract expendable.

For Gauthier, this is another significant chapter in an already unusual NHL career. Originally drafted fifth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2022, Gauthier never signed with Philadelphia and was eventually traded to Anaheim in the blockbuster deal that sent Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick the other way.

Now, less than three years later, Gauthier has gone from highly touted prospect to one of the highest-paid young players in the NHL. The Ducks have made it clear that their future is being built around Gauthier and Carlsson. The difficult part will be making sure there is enough room around those massive contracts to build the supporting cast necessary to take Anaheim to the next level.