Why would the Flyers trade one of their top prospects? Inside the Cutter Gauthier trade
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
The Philadelphia Flyers traded forward Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round selection in the 2025 NHL draft.
It was a straightforward transaction. How the Flyers ended up dealing one of their top prospects is a bit more complicated — and contentious.
Let’s piece together some answers to the many burning questions that persist after Monday’s shocking trade.
Who is Cutter Gauthier?
Let’s start with his almost-too-awesome-for-hockey name.
Gauthier’s father, Sean, finished his pro hockey career playing for Skelleftea in Sweden. That’s where Cutter Gauthier was born. He said his grandmother found the word “Cutter” in a Swedish cookbook, and it stuck with his parents. His full name is William Cutter Ruel Gauthier. But he goes by Cutter. Who wouldn’t?
In 2022, Gauthier was one of the most highly touted forward prospects in the NHL draft, coming from the U.S. National Development Team. At 6-foot-2, he can play all three forward positions and was projected to be an effective goal-scorer. But he was also praised for his defensive acumen.
The Flyers selected the 18-year-old fifth overall.
Gauthier played the 2022-23 season for Boston College, with 37 points in 32 games, and has 23 points in 17 games for the Eagles this season. He most recently helped the U.S. capture world junior tournament gold in Sweden, leading the team with 12 points in seven games.
That tournament was a tantalizing performance for Flyers fans, who watched one of their franchise cornerstones of the future excel on the international stage.
Little did they know that Gauthier had already decided he wasn’t going to be part of the Flyers’ future.
Why was Cutter Gauthier traded?
The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are rolling. The Carolina Hurricanes are reeling.
Sam Bennett scored one of his two goals in Florida’s three-goal first period, Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves, and the Panthers beat the Hurricanes 5-0 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
Gustav Forsling and Matthew Tkachuk also scored in another tone-setting opening 20 minutes for the Panthers, while Carter Verhaeghe had three assists in the win.
“It might have been natural for us to take a little bit to get going tonight, and it was the exact opposite,” said Tkachuk, whose putaway off the feed from Verhaeghe at the crease marked his first goal since Game 3 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning. “It was an unreal start from us. The goals aside, just the way we played in the first period was as good as it gets. Yeah, that’s just a hell of a road trip.”
Florida had already ripped home-ice advantage away Tuesday night with a 5-2 win, the opener in a rematch of the 2023 conference finals swept by the Panthers with four one-goal wins. Florida tightened its grip on the series with this one and now heads back south to host Game 3 on Saturday night.
Bennett scored a second time by skating in to clean up an attempt at the right post in the final minute of the second period to make it 4-0, ending a long shift in Carolina’s end prolonged by Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns being stuck on the ice after breaking his stick. Aleksander Barkov added a goal midway through the third as punctuation.
Bobrovsky had his third shutout of the playoffs this year and the sixth of his career, with Florida’s defense smothering a Carolina team that typically peppers the net with shots but found little daylight.
Florida has won four straight road games by a combined score of 22-4, this time sending Hurricanes fans fleeing for the exits early.
“It’s fun when you’re on the road and it goes quiet,” Verhaeghe said. “It feels like we’re doing our job.”
It wasn’t all great news for Florida. Veteran forward Sam Reinhart was knocked from the game in the first period after taking a hit from Sebastian Aho in the left leg, causing Reinhart’s knee to bend awkwardly.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after the game that Reinhart would be evaluated Friday and that there would be no update on Reinhart’s status until Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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