The Anaheim Ducks may have already tested Cutter Gauthier’s market, and the number on the table was a big one. According to Paul Shaheen, a reliable source said the Ducks offered the restricted free agent forward a four-year deal worth $13 million, and Gauthier turned it down.
Anaheim still has just over $9 million in cap space, so there’s room to keep working on it. But for now, the Ducks and Gauthier appear to be apart on what a new contract should look like.
In Carolina, Jordan Staal is heading into the final year of his deal, and the next conversation is still to come. Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reported that the Hurricanes captain will be 38 next month, and GM Eric Tulsky said the club has not yet mapped out what happens after this season.
“Jordan is an essential part of the fabric of our team, and I anticipate that we will be trying to keep him here for as long as he wants to play. We have not yet really talked about what lies beyond this year, but we will get to that. I will reach out to him and his agent at some point and see how they want to handle it.”
The Vancouver Canucks are also weighing a possible reunion, with free agent defenseman Ben Hutton back in the conversation. On Sekeres and Price, Blake Price and Patrick Johnston discussed whether bringing Hutton back would make sense for the organization.
Price questioned whether Hutton’s game fits what Vancouver needs on the blue line, pointing to the type of defenseman the club is after and whether his profile matches that ask.
Johnston pushed back a bit, noting that Hutton was able to stay on an outstanding Vegas roster and that the Canucks are really looking for NHL bodies who will work and fit the room.
“Yeah, I mean he’s, listen, he was good enough to stick around a, you know, outstanding roster in Vegas, right? Like, No. Listen, given what they need, you know, they need NHL bodies, and they’re, I think, still an NHL body.
You’re not wrong. He doesn’t like move the meter, but they’re not in looking for guys to move the meter.
They’re looking for guys that are going to work hard and be good characters. And you know, he, if, you know, given, given how little he played at times in Vegas, and still kept his chin up.
You know, I think that’s the kind of guy you want, right?”
In Other News...
Former Hurricanes Trade Piece Just Reopened A Familiar Debate
Scott Morrows next step came into focus with the Rangers announcing a one-year, two-way contract for the defenseman, a move that keeps his path to the NHL and AHL both open. Morrow split time this past season between New York and the Hartford Wolf Pack, and he showed the same calling card that made him interesting in the first place: a puck-moving game that can help drive play from the back end.
For Carolina, his new deal is a reminder of how the 2025 trade market can keep echoing long after the original move is made. Morrow was part of the package that went to New York in the deal that sent K'Andre Miller to the Hurricanes, and his continued development only adds another layer to the kind of conversation that follows any trade built around upside, roster fit and patience. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Finally Shed A Playoff Stigma Fans Know Too Well
The Eastern Conference Finals had a familiar look for Hurricanes fans and then, for once, a very different feel. Carolina was back in that round for the seventh time, facing Montreal in a matchup the franchise had not seen at this stage since relocating, and after dropping Game 1 the pressure could have settled in fast. Instead, the Hurricanes answered with the kind of composure that has often been asked of them in the playoffs, taking control of the series and turning a tense start into a real statement.
What stood out most was the way Carolina handled the tight moments. The Hurricanes found ways to win multiple overtime games, leaned on key players to keep the momentum moving, and steadily pushed ahead after the early setback. For a fan base that knows the old playoff stigma all too well, this series has offered something more valuable than one good night - a chance to see the Hurricanes look like a team capable of finally leaving that baggage behind. [Read more 🡒]