The Anaheim Ducks signed forward Cutter Gauthier, 22, to a six-year contract worth $13.5 million annually, the team announced Tuesday. The deal includes an $18.6 million signing bonus plus $850,000 salary in Year 1, meaning Gauthier earns nearly $19.5 million upfront. Gauthier led the Ducks with 41 goals and 69 points last season, adding 12 points in 12 playoff games during Anaheim's first postseason run since 2017.

GM Pat Verbeek called Gauthier "a major part of our young core." The signing follows a transformative offseason where Anaheim matched an offer sheet for Leo Carlsson at $18 million AAV, then waived veteran Chris Kreider for cap flexibility. Kreider later signed with the Montreal Canadiens.

Gauthier's contract was finalized on the last day of the old CBA, which allowed eight-year max terms; the new CBA limits team deals to seven years and restricts front-loaded bonus structures. A former No. 5 pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2022, Gauthier arrived via a 2024 trade. Born in Sweden and raised in the U.S., he developed through the USNTDP and Boston College, where he was a Hobey Baker finalist.