Ducks Sign Cutter Gauthier to Six-Year Deal Hours Before NHL Rule Change
The Anaheim Ducks have signed Cutter Gauthier to a six-year contract worth $81 million, completing the deal on Tuesday night with hours to spare before changes to the NHL's collective bargaining agreement took effect.
The contract carries an average annual value of $13.5 million and runs through the 2031-32 season. Gauthier was the last of Anaheim's restricted free agents to sign.
Built to Beat the Deadline
The structure is what makes the timing significant. Around $69.5 million of the $81 million total is being paid in signing bonuses, close to 86 per cent of the deal.
From Wednesday, that is no longer permitted. The new CBA caps signing bonuses at 60 per cent of a contract's total value, alongside a reduction in maximum term from eight years to seven when re-signing with a club, and from seven to six elsewhere.
The result is a deal which suits both parties in large part. Anaheim kept the term and the cap hit within range, while Gauthier secured the payment structure, having reportedly pushed for a higher annual figure.
The six years cover all five of his restricted free agent seasons plus one year of unrestricted eligibility, meaning he reaches the open market at 28.
"We are pleased to get Cutter signed to a long-term deal and have him in camp on time," Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said. "He's a major part of our young core, a pure goal-scoring talent that will continue progressing into an elite NHL player."
Gauthier said the agreement mattered beyond the hockey. "This is a very exciting day for my family and me," he said. "I'm so pleased to be able to sign long term with the Ducks and be part of what I believe is a great future."
A Breakout Season
The 22-year-old is coming off a campaign in which he led Anaheim with 41 goals and 69 points, both career highs. He added a team-leading 12 points in 12 playoff games, with four goals and eight assists.
Anaheim finished 43-33-6 and reached the postseason for the first time since 2017-18, eliminating Edmonton in six games before losing to Vegas in six.
Gauthier was drafted fifth overall by Philadelphia in 2022 and traded to the Ducks in January 2024 for Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick. In his first full season he recorded 20 goals and 24 assists across 82 games.
What It Costs Anaheim
The signing leaves the Ducks with limited room under the cap, though relief is expected when Troy Terry is placed on injured reserve to open the season. Anaheim had created space last week by terminating Chris Kreider's contract.
Their summer has been shaped by these negotiations. Philadelphia signed centre Leo Carlsson to a five-year offer sheet worth $18 million a year in July, which Anaheim matched, and that figure set the market for Gauthier's talks. Defenceman Pavel Mintyukov also required a second contract under the threat of an offer sheet.
Getting Gauthier in on time avoids a repeat of last season, when Mason McTavish held out into training camp before eventually being traded. Winger Beckett Sennecke becomes extension-eligible next summer, and Gauthier's terms now form the obvious comparison.
The Ducks open their preseason schedule in five days.
