{"id":441988,"date":"2026-08-24T13:36:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T13:36:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/441988\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T13:36:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T13:36:24","slug":"ducks-cutter-gauthier-standoff-fuels-dylan-larkin-trade-speculation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/441988\/","title":{"rendered":"Ducks\u2019 Cutter Gauthier standoff fuels Dylan Larkin trade speculation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cutter Gauthier\u2019s contract standoff with the Anaheim Ducks<\/a> has created a new uncertainty around the organization. It has also led to speculation about a potential Dylan Larkin<\/a> trade.<\/p>\n

Gauthier rejected a four-year, $52 million offer<\/a> from Anaheim, per NHL<\/a> Network Radio contributor Paul Shaheen. The dispute has become more serious as training camp approaches, with the Ducks facing difficult salary-cap decisions.<\/p>\n

Speaking on Daily Faceoff\u2019s \u201cMorning Cuppa Hockey,\u201d ESPN telestration producer Steve Peters discussed the situation. He thinks Gauthier could eventually leave Anaheim if the sides cannot reach an agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, he\u2019s not on the ice,\u201d Peters said. \u201cI don\u2019t think he\u2019s there to play. I think he\u2019s digging his heels in.\u201d<\/p>\n

MORE: Maple Leafs\u2019 Auston Matthews is \u2018most important Toronto athlete\u2019 over Blue Jays\u2019 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n

Peters also pointed to Anaheim\u2019s limited options. \u201cUnfortunately, Anaheim\u2019s in a position they\u2019re backed up against the wall because of the contract that they\u2019ve given,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Ducks already committed heavily to Leo Carlsson after matching Philadelphia\u2019s $18M AAV offer sheet. That contract has increased pressure on Anaheim to resolve Gauthier\u2019s situation without weakening the roster.<\/p>\n

Colby Cohen then raised an intriguing possibility involving Larkin, the Detroit Red Wings captain. The Detroit center reportedly wants a change, while Gauthier\u2019s standoff could force Anaheim to consider major roster moves.<\/p>\n

Why a Cutter Gauthier-Dylan Larkin trade remains difficult<\/p>\n

\"NHL:Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier (61) carries the puck up-ice at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect (Reuters)<\/p>\n

Cohen made his own position clear. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t trade Larkin for Cutter Gauthier straight up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

That assessment reflects the different stages of the players\u2019 careers. Larkin remains an established top-line center and franchise captain, while Gauthier is still developing into a major offensive force.<\/p>\n

Peters also questioned whether Anaheim could realistically solve the situation through a major trade. \u201cI don\u2019t see how it gets done in Anaheim,\u201d Cohen said.<\/p>\n

The larger issue is asset value. \u201cYou have an asset that is just losing value by the day,\u201d Cohen said about a prolonged Gauthier holdout.<\/p>\n

So, from a roster-building perspective, Anaheim cannot afford to let the situation drag indefinitely. Gauthier scored 41 goals and 69 points last season, making him central to the Ducks\u2019 forward group.<\/p>\n

MORE: Mike Rupp calls for Red Wings to remove Dylan Larkin as captain before camp<\/a><\/p>\n

A trade involving Larkin would require significant financial and roster adjustments. Detroit also has limited leverage because Larkin controls his destination through his no-movement clause.<\/p>\n

\u201cI might sit with Petey on this one and say, I think Cutter Gauthier ends up in a different uniform,\u201d Cohen said.<\/p>\n

For now, that remains speculation. The immediate priority for Anaheim is reaching an agreement with Gauthier before the dispute damages both sides.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter\u00a0<\/a>\u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cutter Gauthier\u2019s contract standoff with the Anaheim Ducks has created a new uncertainty around the organization. It has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":441989,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,824,165,164,1805,21159,404,9894,9893],"class_list":["post-441988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-ducks","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-detroit-red-wings","tag-dylan-larkin","tag-nhl","tag-nhl-rumors","tag-nhl-trade-rumors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/441988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=441988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/441988\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/441989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=441988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=441988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=441988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}