Ducks sign Cutter Gauthier to six-year contract
Another top-end player in the next wave of superstars has signed a long-term contract.
On Tuesday, the Anaheim Ducks signed forward Cutter Gauthier to a six-year contract. The deal will reportedly carry an AAV of $13.5 million through the 2031-32 season.
Gauthier was one of the big names that became a restricted free agent on July 1. He came to the end of his three-year, entry-level contract, which he signed with the Ducks in April 2024, shortly after his sophomore season at Boston College came to an end. That deal had an AAV of $1.9 million, thanks to a series of performance bonuses. His signing comes a little while after the Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers‘ offer sheet of teammate Leo Carlsson – a five-year contract with an AAV of $18 million.
Since joining the Ducks, the Swedish-born winger has become an essential part of the team’s attack, and one of the key reasons the team is relevant in the Pacific Division. After notching a respectable 20 goals and 44 points during his rookie season in 2024-25, Gauthier set career highs in goals (41), assists (28) and points (69) in 76 games this past year, leading the Ducks in scoring and finishing tied for 11th in the NHL in goals. His efforts helped Anaheim finish third in the Pacific, securing the team’s first berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2018.
Gauthier was also crucial in helping the Ducks get past the two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers, scoring four goals and seven points in the six-game series and sending his squad to its first postseason series win in nine years. Anaheim was ultimately eliminated by the eventual conference champion Vegas Golden Knights in the second round. The 22-year-old ended up with four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 12 games.
In 159 regular-season games in the NHL, Gauthier has posted 61 goals and 53 assists for 114 points.
Gauthier was originally taken by the Flyers fifth overall at the 2022 NHL Draft. However, when it became clear he wouldn’t sign with the Flyers, he was traded to the Ducks in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 pick.
