The Anaheim Ducks re-signed restricted free-agent forward Cutter Gauthier to a six-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.
The deal carries a $13.5-million cap hit, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Gauthier's new contract makes him Anaheim's second-highest-paid player, trailing only Leo Carlsson's $18-million AAV. He's tied for the fifth-highest cap hit in the NHL next season with Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel. Gauthier will be an unrestricted free agent upon the contract's expiration in 2032.
About $69.5 million of the $81-million deal is in signing bonuses, reports Friedman. New contract rules that limit signing bonuses to 60% of the contract's overall value go into place Wednesday, meaning Gauthier couldn't have signed the pact after Tuesday.
The 22-year-old is coming off a breakout campaign in which he led the Ducks in goals (41) and points (69) while helping them snap a seven-year playoff drought. Gauthier added 12 points in 12 playoff contests as Anaheim upset the Edmonton Oilers in Round 1 and pushed the eventual Western Conference champion Golden Knights to six games in Round 2.
"We are pleased to get Cutter signed to a long-term deal and have him in camp on time," Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement. "He's a major part of our young core, a pure goal-scoring talent that will continue progressing into an elite NHL player."
Gauthier's 41 goals were the ninth most in the NHL last season, while his 285 shots finished as the sixth most.
As an RFA, Gauthier wasn't eligible for an offer sheet and didn't have any arbitration rights.
The Ducks and Chris Kreider agreed to mutually terminate the final year of his contract last week, freeing up $6.5 million in cap space, which helped Anaheim sign Gauthier.
Anaheim acquired Gauthier in a January 2024 trade with the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale. The Flyers drafted Gauthier fifth overall in 2022.
Gauthier, a 6-foot-2 winger, tallied 20 goals and 24 assists as a rookie with the Ducks in 2024-25, finishing fifth in Calder Trophy voting.
