Cutter Gauthier arrived in Anaheim under unique circumstances. He was one of the more notable players in recent memory to refuse to play for the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia Flyers. He forced their hand, and according to him, we don’t need to or will never know why. This rift between player and organization put one of the most talented prospects across the National Hockey League on the trade market and the Ducks were flush with the talent that could entice the Flyers to make a trade. He was coming off a dominant performance at the World Junior Championship (two goals, 10 assists in seven games) and was in the middle of a career season at Boston College. The cost? Jamie Drysdale, in the rare “one-for-one hockey trade.”
In 2020, former general manager (GM) Bob Murray drafted Drysdale, whose road to realizing his potential as a top pairing defenseman has been rocky, at best. Pat Verbeek, the Ducks’ GM of today, dangled Drysdale out there so he could jump on the rare opportunity to get an elite goal-scoring prospect and fill a hole in the Ducks’ lineup that has been absent since Corey Perry’s prime days. Gauthier understands the task ahead of him and is ready for his rookie season in Anaheim, so let’s set some expectations.
Gauthier’s On- and Off-ice Headlines Bring Attention to Anaheim
It takes a special dose of swagger and bravado to publicly refuse to play for anyone, let alone a Philadelphia-based franchise coached by John Tortorella. Understandably, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Most people who feel that way just won’t say it. Gauthier did and it brought him to Anaheim. It should make the Ducks’ appearance in Philadelphia this season interesting, to say the least. He exudes confidence, which he has built through a remarkable run on both the international and NCAA circuits.
In two World Junior Championship tournaments with the United States, he collected six goals and 16 assists in 14 games, and was particularly spectacular in the 2024 competition, where he co-led the tournament in scoring en route to a gold medal. His NCAA career was no less impressive as he collected an eye-popping stat line in two seasons for the Boston College Eagles – 73 games, 54 goals, 48 assists. He had 38 of those goals in his 2023-24 sophomore season, which set a Boston College record. He was an instrumental piece of the program that made a run to the Frozen Four National Championship game. Despite Gauthier’s pre-game confidence, he and his team fell short, but it doesn’t take away from his remarkable run, and certainly doesn’t cast doubt on his potential to produce at the NHL level. This kid is the real deal, and he flashed some of that in his NHL debut.
Impressive NHL Offers Promise
Gauthier signed with the Ducks following Boston College’s deep run in the Frozen Four, just in time to make his NHL debut in the Ducks’ final game of the season, a 4-1 win over the Golden Knights. He got an opportunity to skate with Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson, and collected his first point, an assist, in just his third period of NHL action. Right off the bat, he showed an ability to compete, get involved in the offense. That mindset stayed with him throughout the offseason and the recent Rookie Faceoff. When asked about the muscle he added in the offseason, he stated, “I didn’t want to come in the league and get tossed around by all these big defensemen they have in the NHL now.” The Ducks will greatly benefit from this competitiveness and urgency as he works himself into the young-but-supremely-talented forward group in Anaheim.
Gauthier an Important Part of Young Core
We’ve discussed the deep pool of talent the Ducks have ad nauseum. At some point, someone will have to start delivering in a way that leads to wins. The Drysdale/Gauthier swap was the first of what could be many examples that not all of the Ducks’ young pieces are part of the organization’s future. Beckett Sennecke may be a few years away, but he is another player that could put pressure on the young crop of forwards. It’s all great competition that should be thrilling to watch in the seasons to come. Gauthier, though, is here to stay, and it’s easy to understand why: he fills a need that no other player in the Ducks’ system currently does. Put simply, he scores a lot of goals. And he will score a lot of goals for this team.
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Terry is the Ducks’ most dynamic finisher at the moment, and oftentimes the most dangerous player on the ice. That will continue, but he needs help. Another finisher like him will take the pressure off, give key facilitators like Carlsson and Trevor Zegras more options, and give opposing defenses more to worry about. It’s truly an embarrassment of riches for newly-outfitted Ducks, who will now feature Carlsson, Zegras, Terry, Mason McTavish, Frank Vatrano, Alex Killorn, Robby Fabbri, and Gauthier in their top-three forward lines.
Expect Gauthier to Step into Big Role Immediately
Gauthier is one a few legitimate challengers to 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini for the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league’s best rookie. Surrounded by playmakers on both offense and defense, Gauthier will have ample opportunity to thrive immediately. If he debuted alongside Terry and Carlsson, then he will probably get a look alongside them as the preseason continues. If head coach Greg Cronin prefers to pair a playmaker with a finisher, then perhaps he and Zegras make sense. He is a seamless fit on his strong side wing on the power play, opposite Terry. He too, has size (6-foot-2) and can skate.
It’s important to note that plenty of players don’t storm out of the gates. Some do, several don’t. It takes time adjusting to the rigors of a long, physical, 82-game schedule. It may very well happen to Gauthier, but he has the tools, and surroundings, to overcome it, and that’s what I’d expect. He should be one of the most entertaining players to keep an eye on this season for the Ducks; look for him to capitalize on playing with Carlsson, Terry, and others and produce a 15-20 goal, 35–40-point rookie season.
