It might be necessary for the Ducks to make some unpleasant sacrifices in order to retain their 41-goal scorer.
The Anaheim Ducks made one of the most drastic moves of the offseason by matching Philadelphia’s substantial offer sheet for Leo Carlsson, securing the young center for a five-year deal at an $18 million annual salary. But that decision came with a high price, and the tab is now coming due.
Cutter Gauthier, the team’s 41-goal scorer, is still an unrestricted free agent and will not be able to play for the Ducks until a new contract is signed. According to PuckPedia.com, Anaheim currently has only $9.07 million in cap space, and the 22-year-old is expected to demand a large salary increase. It is highly unlikely that this is sufficient to complete a long-term agreement.
GM Pat Verbeek is now in a precarious situation. Instead of having plenty of space to extend both Carlsson and Gauthier while also strengthening the blue line, he seems forced to move bodies off the roster just to maintain his leading goal scorer in the fold.
In what can only be dubbed a sacrifice, The Hockey News claims that three experienced wingers have become the most probable trade prospects.
In the last year of his contract, Alex Killorn, who will be 37 before the next season, has a cap impact of $6.25 million. With four goals and nine points in 12 playoff games, the two-time Stanley Cup winner demonstrated his continued ability to make an impact. Despite this, he still has a 15-team no-trade list, leaving him with a plethora of potential locations.
There is a practically identical profile offered by Chris Kreider. Additionally, the left winger, who is 35 years old and makes $6.5 million, is on a expiring contract with similar trade protection. He had 22 goals and 50 points in 75 regular-season games, making him the more productive of the two. In theory, Verbeek might retain one and transfer the other, but trading both would free up around $12.75 million in extra space.
The group is completed by Frank Vatrano. With two years remaining, he is the youngest and least expensive member of the trio, at around $4.6 million per season, at 32 years old. Nonetheless, an awful shoulder fracture restricted him to only five goals and nine points in 50 games last season, the worst offensive production of his 11-year career. A significant return may be difficult to obtain with that decreased output.
Moving just one of these contracts would allow Anaheim some breathing room, but two might be required to securely sign Gauthier long-term. Additionally, Beckett Sennecke is eligible for a contract extension on July 1, further complicating matters by introducing a new financial consideration.
Verbeek’s offseason relies on locating eager trade partners for seasoned players with significant salaries, which may be as difficult as matching that offer sheet in the first place. However, he also needs to consider that Gauthier’s demands and the ultimate cost of one of his teammates may negatively impact team chemistry.
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