The Anaheim Ducks have one big job left before training camp: getting Cutter Gauthier signed.
That part is not complicated in theory. Gauthier is coming off a breakout 2025-26 season that saw him lead Anaheim with 41 goals and 69 points, then add 12 points in 12 playoff games.
He has clearly become one of the key pieces in the Ducks’ young core. The challenge is the money.
Anaheim’s cap picture changed fast after the Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers’ five-year, $90 million offer sheet for Leo Carlsson and then gave Pavel Mintyukov a lucrative extension. General manager Pat Verbeek said in July that once Gauthier’s salary is set, he’ll have more work to do to make the numbers fit.
That’s why a veteran trade has moved to the front of the conversation, and Chris Kreider stands out as the most logical name.
Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn are also possible salary-dump options, but Kreider offers something different. He carries a $6.5 million cap hit for 2026-27 and is in the final season of his contract, which means moving him would open up real room right away for Gauthier’s deal. Just as important, Kreider still has enough value that Anaheim might not need to attach an extra asset just to move him.
The 35-year-old is coming off a bounce-back offensive season and still brings the kind of package teams want: goals, net-front presence and special-teams help. For a club that wants veteran scoring without locking into a long-term commitment, that makes him appealing.
The one catch is his trade protection. Anaheim can’t just ship him anywhere it wants. Even so, there are teams with the cap space to make something happen.
Seattle is one of them. The Kraken have the financial flexibility and could use another proven winger who knows how to score. Kreider’s work around the crease could give their forward group and power play an immediate boost.
Detroit also fits. The Red Wings have been trying to turn their young talent into a regular playoff team, and Kreider would give them experience without adding long-term cap baggage. They also have the room to take on a significant chunk of his salary.
Columbus is another possible landing spot. The Blue Jackets have space to work with and could use another veteran scorer to support their younger forwards.
Anaheim does have some short-term breathing room. NHL teams can go 10 percent over the salary cap during the offseason, so Verbeek does not have to move Kreider before Gauthier is signed.
But the bigger problem still hangs over the Ducks. Gauthier is too important to let this drag.
After what happened with Carlsson, Anaheim can’t afford another young-star negotiation bleeding into camp. Trading Kreider could address both issues at once: it would create the cap space to sign Gauthier comfortably and potentially bring back something useful.
With camp getting closer, Seattle, Detroit and Columbus are all names worth watching. Among Anaheim’s veteran trade options, Kreider looks like the best shot at clearing meaningful money without simply giving a player away.
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