Anaheim Ducks sign Cutter Gauthier, 22, to six-year contract - ESPN

The Anaheim Ducks signed forward Cutter Gauthier, 22, to a six-year contract, the team announced Tuesday night. The deal is worth $13.5 million annually, sources told ESPN.

The contract includes an $18.6 million signing bonus plus $850,000 in salary in Year 1. So Gauthier will make nearly $19.5 million in his first year, a source said.

The agreement keeps one of Anaheim's young cornerstones in place after a breakout season in which Gauthier led the Ducks with 41 goals and 69 points. The Ducks exceeded expectations by making the playoffs last season and upsetting the Edmonton Oilers in the first round.

Gauthier, 22, scored 12 points in 12 playoff games for the Ducks in their first postseason appearance in eight years.

He was the No. 5 pick of the 2022 NHL draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. After arriving in Anaheim in a 2024 blockbuster trade, Gauthier became a restricted free agent this summer coming off his entry-level contract.

«This is a very exciting day for my family and I,» Gauthier said in a team statement. «I'm so pleased to be able to sign long term with the Ducks and be part of what I believe is a great future.»

The offseason has been transformative for Anaheim, which matched an offer sheet for Leo Carlsson from Philadelphia in July. That deal made Carlsson the NHL's highest-paid player at $18 million per season, which has now been surpassed twice — by San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar.

The Carlsson contract and the impending deal for Gauthier forced the Ducks to waive veteran Chris Kreider last week for what general manager Pat Verbeek called «salary cap flexibility.» Kreider went on to sign a one-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens and was introduced