Cutter Gauthier’s next contract is already sending ripples beyond Anaheim.
According to NHL insider David Pagnotta, the Ducks forward’s deal could end up helping set the market for San Jose Sharks winger Will Smith. Pagnotta made the point while discussing the restricted free agent landscape on DFO Rundown, with NHL Rumour Report later sharing the comment on X.
"Cutter Gauthier in Anaheim, I think his number is gonna play a factor in what [Sharks forward] Will Smith ends up getting."
That connection makes sense given where both players stand. Gauthier is now a restricted free agent after finishing his entry-level deal, and Smith is heading into the final year of his own three-year entry-level contract with San Jose. Smith will be eligible to become a restricted free agent after the 2026-27 season.
The Gauthier situation has picked up steam in recent weeks, especially after the Philadelphia Flyers signed Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet with an $18 million average annual value. Anaheim matched the offer to keep Carlsson, but the number is expected to loom large in talks with Gauthier. Former NHL defenseman Keith Yandle said on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast that Gauthier is unlikely to accept a deal below Carlsson’s after seeing that offer sheet.
There’s also a natural comparison between Gauthier and Smith. Both were top-five draft picks, both played together at Boston College, and both are viewed as similar young forwards. That’s why Gauthier’s eventual contract is being treated as one of the key reference points for Smith’s next negotiation.
And Gauthier has the kind of season that gives his camp plenty of leverage. Anthony Di Marco said on the Campbell vs. Gallo podcast that he expects Anaheim to get a deal done, and pegged the range at "16, 17 million dollars per season, between Bedard and Carlsson."
Gauthier backed up the buzz with production. He finished the 2025-26 season with 41 goals and 28 assists for 69 points in 76 games, led Anaheim in goals, and helped push the Ducks back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He also joined rare company in franchise history, becoming just the fourth Ducks player to score 40 or more goals in a season, alongside Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya and Corey Perry. Earlier in the year, he logged the first hat trick of his NHL career in a 7-3 win over the Florida Panthers, then came back from injury later in the season to help Anaheim in the playoffs.
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