Cutter Gauthier reportedly turned down a $13 million-per-season offer from the Ducks

DansLesCoulisses.com
Cutter Gauthier reportedly turned down a $13 million-per-season offer from the Ducks
Credit: Capture d'écran / X

The Ducks didn't have it easy with the hostile offer for Leo Carlsson. They had to swallow an $18 million contract for a player who doesn't deserve to be paid that much.

All that money sparked some jealousy in his teammate Cutter Gauthier. Back in July, there were reports that he wanted a more lucrative contract than Connor Bedard's $15 million-per-season deal.

With very little wiggle room, the Ducks took a shot by offering Gauthier a contract worth $13 million per season. He reportedly turned down the offer, according to Paul Shaheen of the NHL Network radio.

Shaheen also reported that it was a four-season deal.

This isn't the first time a player has turned down that much money this summer. Jason Robertson had turned down a $15 million-per-season offer from the Kraken, but that could be explained by the fact that he might not have wanted to play in Seattle.

At this rate, Gauthier is really going to put the Ducks in a bind. Currently, Anaheim has only about $9 million in cap space.

Let's do a quick mental calculation: 9 – 13 = -4. The Ducks are going to have to make a move if they want to retain Gauthier's services.

Anaheim can't count on Gauthier to help out in this situation. The forward has shown in the past that he isn't afraid to hurt his team to get what he wants.

The American had put the Flyers in a bind by requesting a trade before he'd even played a single game in the NHL.

If the Ducks ultimately sign Gauthier to a contract worth at least $14 million per season, they'll end up at least $5 million over the salary cap.

That's when they'll have to figure out a way to shed the hefty contracts of Alex Killorn ($6.25 million per season) or Chris Kreider ($6.5 million per season), for example.

It's hard to believe that other teams will do them a favor by taking on these big contracts without asking for something substantial in return. The good news for the Ducks is that they still have their first-round pick and three second-round picks in 2027.

Watching all this unfold, you can't help but think we're very lucky in Montreal.


In a Nutshell

– Strange.

– What a story!

– David Reinbacher should have a chance to earn a spot on the roster this year.

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