After the news of the William Nylander signing, the Anaheim Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers made a blockbuster trade. The Flyers traded Cutter Gauthier to the Ducks for Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 2nd Round Pick.
TRADE: We have acquired left wing Cutter Gauthier from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Details ➡️ https://t.co/xmxnFyqCxE pic.twitter.com/ScvLaOVCBx
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) January 9, 2024
Gauthier was selected by the Flyers in the first round, fifth overall, in the 2022 NHL Draft. He has yet to make his NHL debut. Gauthier spent the last two seasons with the Boston College Eagles and he is coming back from Sweden after winning Gold at the World Junior Championships with Team USA.
This was a surprising trade but Gauthier did not want to be a member of the Flyers anymore.
Sources say Cutter Gauthier informed #Flyers organization he did not want to play in Philadelphia.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 9, 2024
Flyers General Manager Daniel Briere: “Looked at us at the draft and told us he was built to be a Flyer, wanted to be a Flyer, and, and maybe a few months later told us that he didn’t want to be a Flyer didn’t want to play for the Flyers. So in our mind at first we said we have to protect him. We have to because if he changes his mind again, when it’s out there that he doesn’t want to play, it’s going to be tough for him to put the uniform on. But when we realized that they refused to talk to us now it’s been months and he didn’t want to be a Flyer or didn’t want to be in Philadelphia. It was time to make it happen.”
Briere also thanked the teams they had spoken with not to let the news get out there.
#Flyers engaged upwards of 18-20 teams that Cutter Gauthier would sign with over the last weeks.
GM Danny Briere and president Keith Jones both traveled to Sweden to see Gauthier at #WorldJuniors to try and attempt to get everything back on rails, before pulling trigger today.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 9, 2024
Drysdale was selected sixth overall in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft. In 10 games this season with the Ducks he has five points (one goal and four assists). Through 123 games in the NHL he has 45 points (eight goals and 37 assists).
Recall Drysdale had a contract dispute with the Ducks before the season started. They resolved it as he inked a new extension. Now he is off to Philadelphia.
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek says organization’s prospect group doesn’t have anyone like Cutter Gauthier. Praises his shot, skating ability. Cites one-goal losses as reason to acquire a potential difference-making scorer.
— Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) January 9, 2024
The Flyers are getting a young defenseman with so much potential upside that can play in the Top Four.
The Flyers have acquired Jamie Drysdale & 2nd round draft pick 2025 in exchange for rights to Cutter Gauthier. Drysdale still has a potential to be an elite offensive defenseman, however those injuries didn’t help him for sure. Gauthier didn’t want to play for Philly. pic.twitter.com/5UMtC8cIpX
— Andy & Rono (@ARHockeyStats) January 9, 2024
The big issue with Drysdale is he is injury prone. He missed most of last season with a a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Drysdale has already missed time this season as well.
But now the Flyers have a nice corps on the backend.
Jamie Drysdale hasn’t had the strongest start to the season defensively, but does project to be a top four defenseman in his prime. pic.twitter.com/2B3dZhuRy7
— dom ? (@domluszczyszyn) January 9, 2024