ANAHEIM, Calif. — As another season without the playoffs goes by, the Ducks’ main focus has been strengthening their future core. The recent addition of one of the collegiate level’s best players will add even more talent to an already formidable mix.
On Jan. 8, in one of the season’s biggest trades so far, the Philadelphia Flyers sent Cutter Gauthier, Boston College’s standout forward and the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, to the Ducks in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round draft pick. Gauthier reportedly didn’t want to play for the Flyers, so Anaheim seized on the opportunity to pick up another quality prospect; Philadelphia was left with no choice but to trade the 20-year-old, further bolstering the Ducks’ stout farm system.
In addition to winning gold with Team USA at the 2024 World Junior Championship, Gauthier leads the NCAA with 23 goals and has been a catalyst on the star-studded, No. 1-ranked Eagles. At this trajectory, his college success should lead him up to a pro call-up sooner rather than later.
But what makes Gauthier so special?
His 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame makes him strong and physical. Combine that size with his shifty skating ability and powerful shot, and he’s been a major point-producer for BC. He’s not afraid to take ambitious shots and he’s an especially confident player at such a young age. Last Friday against New Hampshire, Gauthier had an outstanding, four-point performance on two goals and two assists to lift the Eagles to a blowout victory, bringing him up to 38 points on the season in just 26 games.
Gauthier shares the ice with fellow premier NHL draftees Will Smith and Ryan Leonard and even then he’s been a true leader on a stacked team. Gauthier has also helped BC earn two wins over the rival Boston University Terriers, who feature the consensus top prospect in the upcoming 2024 draft, Macklin Celebrini.
Gauthier was originally a winger before transitioning to play center in college. His pure scoring ability, in conjunction with his physicality, has proved his positional change to be the right choice.
Anaheim has compiled plenty of forward depth, giving them a possible explosive future core of Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson and Trevor Zegras. Add Gauthier to that forward pool and Anaheim will not only have an electric goal scorer, but also a puck-battling grinder.
If his excellence at the NCAA level wasn’t enough of a selling point, Gauthier also dominated at the World Junior Championship, posting 12 points in seven games to co-lead the tournament.
Crucially, the Ducks acquired Gauthier without having to surrender a top piece to the Flyers. While Drysdale has shown flashes of success, he has dealt with injuries that have sidelined him for many games in recent seasons. Gauthier’s acquisition was opportune for Anaheim not only in its timing, but also from a team-building perspective.
The Ducks’ future cast was in need of a more reliable scorer, which Gauthier projects to become. Parting ways with Drysdale also made sense, because the Ducks’ defensive prospect pool—headlined by 20-year-old Pavel Mintyukov—looks stacked for the long-term. After an unconventional start to his NHL journey by burning a bridge with the Flyers, Gauthier shifts focus to being a part of the next great Ducks squads.
While recent seasons have been uninspiring for Ducks fans, highly touted prospects such as Gauthier should give them excitement for what is to come. The front office appears committed to becoming a contender by stacking up talent for the future, of which Gauthier will be a huge part.