Dylan Guenther and Cutter Gauthier both put up 40-goal seasons, so the production alone makes this a real debate. But once the contract numbers enter the picture, the gap gets a lot clearer. If you’re picking the better player to build around, Guenther comes out as the obvious choice because of the massive difference in salary and contract value.
Utah’s decision to lock Guenther in long-term after the 2023-24 season already looks sharp, and the numbers only make it look better now. Guenther was 23 when he signed his 8-year, $57.14 million extension, coming off a season in which he scored 17 goals and added 18 assists in just 45 games. That deal pays him just over 7 million per season, and he has more than justified it.
He followed that up in 2024-25 with 27 goals and 33 assists, showing right away that he could be a major offensive piece for Utah. Then came this past season, when Guenther turned the contract into a steal by scoring 40 goals and adding 33 assists.
That kind of production at that price is exactly why Utah looks so smart here. Guenther is set up to be a top goal scorer for a team for years, unless someone else on the roster suddenly blows up offensively.
Gauthier, meanwhile, is headed into his own negotiation and is looking for well over double Guenther’s average annual value. The 22-year-old has earned that kind of attention after scoring 41 goals this season with the Ducks. But Anaheim could also end up losing him, especially after signing Leo Carlsson to a massive deal.
Gauthier has every right to ask for a big contract. Still, when the comparison is Guenther versus Gauthier, the Utah forward is the better choice because he delivers elite scoring without the financial hit. That extension is already shaping up to be one of the best in Mammoth history.
In Other News...
Bill Armstrong Just Explained Why Utah Couldn't Let Barrett Hayton Walk
Barrett Haytons restricted free agency turned into a quick test of Utahs appetite for risk, and the answer came fast. After a one-year, $4.775 million offer sheet landed on the table, the Mammoth chose to match rather than let a former first-round pick walk away for a draft-pick return, a move that fit the front offices broader push to keep NHL-caliber talent in the room.
Bill Armstrong made clear why the decision was so straightforward. Even with Haytons production not living up to the expectations attached to his pedigree, Armstrong said the alternative was too thin a reward for a player the organization still believes can help now, especially when the compensation would have been only a second-round pick. For a team trying to build a deeper, more reliable roster, that kind of tradeoff was never going to sit well. [Read more 🡒]
NHL Free Agency Still Offers Scoring Help With One Familiar Catch
Free agency has already thinned out, but the market still has a few names that can change an offense in a hurry if a team is willing to live with the baggage. Anthony Mantha and Vladimir Tarasenko both bring recent scoring resumes that would look useful on almost any second line, while Patrick Kane keeps finding ways to produce well into his late 30s. Even Logan Stanley, a different kind of target altogether, showed enough offense from the blue line to remind teams that there is still some value left on the board.
For Arizona, the appeal is obvious and the catch is just as clear. The Coyotes can use help putting the puck in the net, but the remaining options come with health questions, age concerns or both, and Patrick Laine sits at the center of that calculation after another season interrupted by injuries. The talent is still there, which is why these players remain available conversation pieces in July, but the decision now is whether any club wants to bet on upside while accepting how much time that upside may spend out of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]