The Anaheim Ducks have locked up a key piece of their future as the team agreed to a long-term deal with star winger Cutter Gauthier.
The Ducks announced on Tuesday that they have inked Gauthier to a six-year contract to keep him in Anaheim, the team revealed on its social media.
“CUT IT! Our man Cutter signs a six-year deal keeping him in Anaheim through 2031-32,” the Ducks wrote on X.
Our man Cutter signs a six-year deal keeping him in Anaheim through 2031-32.
Ducks Get Cutter Gauthier Under Team-Friendly Terms
According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, it’s a six-year deal for Gauthier with an average annual value of $13.5 million, for a total of $81 million.
“Cutter Gauthier and the Anaheim Ducks have agreed to a new contract – six years, $13.5 million per sources,” Kaplan wrote.
This is a nice deal for the Ducks, as Gauthier’s number comes in below that of Chicago Blackhawks captain Connor Bedard, who got $15 million on his recent five-year contract extension with the Blackhawks.
The Ducks also signed Gauthier for far less than center Leo Carlsson, who is getting $18 million per season for the next five years as part of his new deal with the team after they signed an offer sheet handed out by the Philadelphia Flyers early in the offseason.
Cutter Gauthier Is a Star
Just 22 years of age, Gauthier is coming off a massive season for the Ducks where he scored 41 goals and had 69 points in 76 regular-season games. He also added 4 goals and 12 points in 12 postseason games.
In his three-year NHL career, Gauthier has scored 61 goals and 114 points in 159 regular-season games split between the Ducks and the Flyers.
The Swede did not have arbitration rights, so his only way to get paid this offseason was to wait as long as he could and hope that he and the team could agree to a new deal that was fair for both sides.
Ultimately, that number landed on $13.5 million for six seasons for the team and the player, a deal that is a solid one for the Ducks long-term, as the cap number will only get better with time, while Gauthier gets his guaranteed money and is now set for life.
Ducks Sign Cutter Gauthier to New Contract