The Leo Carlsson offer sheet has changed how NHL teams will approach their restricted free agents (RFAs). Philadelphia backed Anaheim into a corner. This forced them to make their young center the highest-paid player in NHL history.
Now the Ducks face a new problem. Cutter Gauthier remains unsigned. With currently only a little more than nine million dollars in cap space, GM Pat Verbeek will have his hands full trying to lock up his young scorer.
Ducks Young Core
Anaheim finally returned to the postseason after missing the previous seven years in 2026. With a young core led by Carlsson and Gauthier, the Ducks’ bright future has dimmed due to their new cap struggles.
The Ducks needed to sign their trio of young players, including Carlsson and Gauthier, along with defenseman Pavel Mintyukov this offseason. With Carlsson and Mintyukov now taking up $25.2 million combined, that leaves Gauthier as the odd man out.
Could Gauthier Hold Out?
With Carlsson getting his big payday, what’s stopping Gauthier from demanding his? Cutter hit 40 goals in just his second season and led the Ducks in points as well. Although he doesn’t play a premium position like Carlsson, it’s still reasonable for Gauthier to seek a $15 million deal. That would make him the third-highest-paid player in the NHL.
Is he worth that hefty price tag? Right now, the answer is simply no. While he is such a promising player with a bright future, it’s hard to justify giving him that contract right now. 40-goal scorers are incredibly valuable. But paying him more than Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, or Auston Matthews could handcuff this young team and limit its ability to take the next step.
But even in a season where Gauthier scored 41 goals, a sign of why he may be ready to take the step to 50 is his shooting percentage. Last season, he had the lowest percentage of any player above the 40-goal mark at 14.3%. If Gauthier hovers around the 16-20% range, there’s no question he could become a Matthews-level goalscorer.
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Revisiting Gauthier in Philadelphia
Originally drafted to the Flyers in 2022, Gauthier demanded out before even signing his entry-level contract. This prompted the Flyers to eventually trade their first-round pick in a shocking twist just a year after he was drafted.
So why is this important now after Cutter decided to go to Anaheim happily? Well, more than anything, it shows he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. A player like that can be dangerous to play hardball with in contract negotiations.
Why the Ducks Shouldn’t Do It
The obvious reason here is the cap space. It’s unlikely that the team can fit in their young winger at under $9 million unless the team decides to give him a bridge deal. Surely that isn’t the route Verbeek wants to take. It could cost him more in two to three years, when he’d have to re-sign Gauthier at an even higher price.
This is more of an extreme scenario, but could the Ducks consider a trade? Even if Anaheim can sign Gauthier, there’s still a massive issue with this roster, and it starts and ends with their defensive core. The Ducks spend the second-least in cap space on their defenseman in the NHL.
Looking at a team like the Blackhawks, they have the cap space to sign Gauthier to a massive deal. They also have a surplus of young defensemen. Could a deal be made? It would likely require a package including Levshunov, Rinzel, Korchinski, or Kaiser, plus a young forward. Although a trade is unlikely, Verbeek needs to consider at least what would be the best long-term outlook for his team.
Why They Should
Anaheim needs to ensure all of their young core is locked up. They can’t let Gauthier go. Signing him would mean they have to move money off the books somewhere. The two obvious choices are Alex Killorn and Chris Kreider. Both are over 35 years old and making north of $6.25 million.
If the Ducks move just one of those contracts, they should have enough space to sign Gauthier long-term. The issue is, each player has a modified no-trade clause. Both players have 15-team no-trade lists that can make it difficult for Ducks management to move.
Regardless of how difficult it may be to move either player, it must be done to make room for Gauthier. His shot can break open a game at any time. With no other players above even 30 goals on the roster, it’s a priority to get GGauthier’scontract done before the season begins.
26-27 Season Relies on Gauthier Signing
As much as fans in Anaheim should be extremely excited for this team’s future, next season may spell trouble. With so many question marks and moves still to come, missing the playoffs is a real possibility. One way to almost guarantee that happens is by letting the Gauthier contract saga continue into the regular season.
Verbeek needs to get his young star signed sooner rather than later. While the young, inexperienced defense develops, having a 40-goal scorer to rely on makes their job much easier.
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