Анахайм Дакс 22 настай довтлогчтой зургаан жилийн хугацаатай, жилийн дундаж цалин нь 13.5 сая доллар байхаар тохиролцсон гэрээг баталгаажууллаа.
Анахайм Дакс багийн удирдлага довтлогч Каттер Готьетой зургаан жилийн хугацаатай, нийт 81 сая долларын үнэ бүхий гэрээний сунгалт хийлээ. Өнгөрсөн улиралд 76 тоглолтод оролцож 41 гоол оруулсан Готье нь NHL-ийн хэмжээнд цохилтын давтамжаараа хоёрдугаарт бичигдсэн бөгөөд түүнийг ирээдүйд 50 гоолын босгыг давах чадвартай тоглогч хэмээн мэргэжилтнүүд дүгнэж байна.
Лео Карлссоны 90 сая долларын өртөгтэй гэрээний дараа зах зээлийн нөхцөл байдал өөрчлөгдсөнийг харгалзан үзвэл, Готьегийн гэрээ нь Анахайм Дакс багийн хувьд оновчтой шийдвэр боллоо. Хэдийгээр Райан Леонардын 10.5 сая долларын дундаж цалинтай гэрээтэй харьцуулахад өндөр сонсогдож болох ч, Готьегийн гоол оруулах өндөр бүтээмж нь түүнийг ийм хэмжээний цалин авах үндэслэл болж байна.
Гэрээний бүтцэд багтсан гарын үсэг зурах урамшуулал болон цалингийн дээд хязгаартай холбоотой өөрчлөлтүүд нь Анахайм Дакс багийн хувьд шинэ сорилт болж байгаа юм. Гэсэн хэдий ч багийн фронт-офис тоглогчдын зах зээлийн үнэлгээ өсөж буй өнөөгийн нөхцөл байдалд тохируулан энэхүү хэлэлцээрийг хийсэн нь багийн ирээдүйн төлөвлөгөөнд эерэг нөлөө үзүүлнэ гэж үзэж байна.
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The contract
The Anaheim Ducks signed forward Cutter Gauthier to a six-year extension with a $13.5 million average annual value.
Harman Dayal: After Leo Carlsson signed an industry-shaking five-year, $90 million offer sheet, all eyes turned to Gauthier and how high his contract demands could skyrocket. There was fear his AAV could creep into the mid- to high teens, and with restricted free agents increasingly signing medium-term contracts, there was no guarantee that it would come attached with meaningful term, either.
With that context in mind, the Ducks locking Gauthier down at a $13.5 million AAV seems like a pretty favorable outcome. Is the $31.5 million annual combined cap hit of Carlsson and Gauthier far more than what the Ducks must have budgeted for before this summer? No doubt. With player salaries and the salary cap exploding, however, Gauthier’s contract looks perfectly reasonable relative to the current market dynamics.
Gauthier exploded for 41 goals in 76 games last season, and at 22, he hasn’t reached his ceiling. That combination of goal-scoring production and age is exceptionally rare. We should feel extra confident that Gauthier’s 40-goal breakout is sustainable rather than a one-off because he generates shots and scoring chances at an absurd rate: He racked up 12.9 shots per 60 minutes last season, which ranked No. 2 in the NHL. In other words, his 40-goal breakout wasn’t reliant on a fluky, sky-high shooting percentage bender; his one-of-one ability to manufacture shots gives him a very high floor as a goal scorer.
There’s also room for his ice time to tick up, which could further increase his production. Gauthier averaged 17:15 per game in 2025-26, ranking No. 126 among NHL forwards, sandwiched between Kiefer Sherwood and Conor Garland. None of us should be surprised if Gauthier hits the 50-goal mark at some point with a touch more ice time and continued age-related growth.
SIX MORE YEARS OF THIS!!#FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/mnIUOdaB8u
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) September 16, 2026
Gauthier is a bit one-dimensional, and his defense needs to improve, but that doesn’t matter much when you fill the net as often as he does.
An AAV of $13.5 million also doesn’t seem too shabby for the Ducks considering that Ryan Leonard just signed an eight-year extension at a $10.5 million AAV with the Washington Capitals, which kicks in starting in 2027-28. Leonard’s extension is a logical bet given his exceptional talent and potential, but the reality is he commanded a cap hit only $3 million lower than Gauthier, despite scoring just 20 goals last season. Yes, Leonard is a year younger than Gauthier, a superior play driver and more well-rounded, and the extra two years of team control on his maximum-term extension are noteworthy, but if he’s a $10.5 million player, Gauthier’s $13.5 million seems completely fair.
We can’t give the Ducks too much credit because Gauthier wasn’t offer-sheet eligible, which limited his leverage, and the club should have been more aggressive about extending him a year ago. But the front office salvaged a situation that could have turned much worse.
Contract grade: B
Shayna Goldman: The Gauthier contract, in a vacuum, might look like a slight overpayment. If you go back a few months ago, to a less chaotic time before the record-breaking Leo Carlsson offer sheet, Gauthier seemed to be in line for a long-term extension in the $9 million to 10 million range.
But a lot has changed since then, and that context matters a ton here.
The market has changed, with restricted free agents pushing the boundaries on their second contracts. Less proven players are getting the bag, while franchise centers are getting superstar money.
There’s also everything that’s swirling around Anaheim to consider. The front office mismanaged the cap this summer, especially with some of its up-and-coming talent. Not only did management have to make a handful of subtractions, but every key RFA has signed above market value.
Those details all make Gauthier’s $13.5 million AAV a lot more digestible. Recent market trends gave him a path to push for more. And today’s player-empowerment era could have inspired him to sit out training camp and play the waiting game. Considering how poorly that went for Anaheim last year with Mason McTavish, and how short-handed the team is now without Chris Kreider and with Troy Terry sidelined, it benefits Anaheim to have handled this deal sooner rather than later.
The trade-off, it seems, is a contract filled with signing bonuses, which goes against the Ducks’ usual strategy. Before the Carlsson contract, Anaheim did not offer them. Now, Gauthier will earn $18.6 million in bonuses alone in Year 1. And he gets to benefit from a contract structure that changed just a few hours later when the new collective bargaining agreement kicked in at midnight.
It’s not that dramatic of an overpayment, either. While Gauthier’s average market value is closer to $12 million over the next six years, there is room for him to grow into this contract — especially in its second half. Gauthier has in a short time already proved himself as a shot-volume machine and dangerous goal scorer at the NHL level. If that offense can keep growing, or if his defense improves slightly, he could hit that $13.5 million level even sooner. That helps the Ducks, who have to operate on a much tighter budget after this summer.
Contract grade: B+
