Ducks ink F Cutter Gauthier to entry-level contract

The Anaheim Ducks signed forward Cutter Gauthier to an entry-level contract on Sunday.

The three-year deal starts this season, and Gauthier is expected to make his NHL debut when Anaheim wraps up its 2023-24 campaign against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.

Gauthier, 20, just finished his season with Boston College, which fell 2-0 to Denver in the men's ice hockey national championship on Saturday. Gauthier finished the season with an NCAA-best 38 goals, the most by an NCAA player since 1999-00.

"We are excited to sign Cutter and have him begin his NHL career with the Ducks immediately," Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek said. "He was the top goal-scorer in college hockey and has the dynamic ability to produce in all situations. We look forward to having him join our group of top young players already in the NHL."

After being selected fifth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2022 NHL Draft, Gauthier was traded to the Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick back on Jan. 8. It soon came out that Gauthier had told the Flyers he did not want to play for the organization.

Anaheim is 26-50-5 this season. Its 57 points are third-fewest in the NHL.