Trusted Pundit Suggests Oilers Pursue Ducks’ Unsigned RFA Cutter Gauthier

The Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks faced off against each other in the first round of the playoffs last season, and to the shock of most fans, the Ducks took down the Oilers in six games, and seemed poised to finally be turning their luck around and turning into contenders after a bit of a retool.

Unfortunately, the Ducks’ summer has been disastrous. Leo Carlsson signed a massive offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers, worth $18 million annually over the next five seasons, which they decided to match. With that new deal for their franchise player, they are tight for cap space to re-sign Cutter Gauthier, who is a restricted free agent (RFA).

There has been some speculation that Gauthier, who scored 41 goals and had 69 points through 76 games last season, could be looking for around $15 million annually on a new deal, matching what Connor Bedard recently signed for with the Chicago Blackhawks. To be able to do that, the Ducks would have to clear some cap space, since they only have just over $9 million according to PuckPedia.

While they could trade Alex Killorn, Frank Vatrano, and/or Chris Kreider to make some room to keep Gauthier around, a trusted pundit from The Athletic, Allan Mitchell, suggested that the Oilers take advantage of the Ducks’ cap issues, and try to target Gauthier in a trade.

Mitchell, who confirms the idea is a stretch and could be something out of the Oilers’ price range, writes:

“Gauthier scored 41 goals last season and has an enormous future. The price would be dear, and Bowman may not have the assets. It’s still worth a try. Savoie, Howard and a high draft pick is the outer marker offer for the Oilers, and another NHL team could exceed that package if it comes to it. The estimated contract for Gauthier (it’s going to be a monster) would require the Oilers to deal away a substantial roster player to make it work.

”source – ‘Edmonton Oilers roster needs one more piece for another Stanley Cup run’ – Allan Mitchell – The Athletic – 08-23-2026

The expectation is that Gauthier will re-sign with the Ducks at some point, but until he does, trade rumours and ideas will continue to pop up.

Ducks Trading Gauthier Is Very Unlikely

Let’s make it clear: the Ducks trading Gauthier is very unlikely, and they would prefer not to lose a 40-goal scorer.

However, it is fun to consider what the Oilers could do with a player like Gauthier added to their lineup. Putting someone like Gauthier in their top-six forward group not only adds an elite goalscorer that takes some pressure off of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but it finally gives them the depth they’ve been looking for as they push for a Stanley Cup.

The reality is, they don’t have the cap space to give him the extension he is looking for, even if they do have an attractive trade offer in Matthew Savoie, Isaac Howard, and a first-round pick. Mitchell is right; other teams can likely beat that trade offer, and they would have to be willing to part with an important player.

Oilers Could Still Go Big-Game Hunting

Even though they won’t be acquiring Gauthier, there are still other options around the league for the Oilers to pursue as they try to win their first championship since 1990.

Kirill Marchenko, Jason Robertson, Jake DeBrusk, and Alex DeBrincat are all players who could become available before the 2027 Trade Deadline, depending on how their respective teams’ seasons go. If any of them do, the Oilers will have the cap space to make a move to bring one in, but we’ll see how things play out this season.

They could still go big-game hunting for a superstar, but Gauthier won’t be the player they bring in.

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