Philadelphia Flyers And Cutter Gauthier Drama Just Seems To Be Growing Further

The story of the Cutter Gauthier-Jamie Drysdale deal appears to have no end in sight, whether you’re tired of hearing about it or you can’t get enough details.

Philadelphia Flyers and Cutter Gauthier Drama Just Seems To Be Growing Further

The Flyers’ highly anticipated prospect Cutter Gauthier, whom they chose with the fifth overall choice in the 2022 NHL Draft, was sent to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night in exchange for defender Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick.

That exchange was shocking, even though, when you think about it, it probably benefits both parties. The fact that Gauthier had utterly ignored the Flyers’ repeated attempts to contact him after telling the team he didn’t want to play for them last spring was even more shocking.

So, Cutter Gauthier was selected by the Flyers with the fifth overall pick in 2022, and he appeared very motivated based on all reports. He frequently tweeted his joy at getting selected by the Flyers, even going so far as to claim that he was destined to play in Philadelphia.

But by May 2023, Gauthier had let Flyers general manager Danny Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones know that he was leaving the team. Briere attested to the fact that Gauthier and his group consistently disregarded Jones and himself, providing no justification why the young player’s decision and not engaging with the pair when they attempted to meet and discuss Gauthier’s decision.

The news that Gauthier had been moved to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for 21-year-old defender Jamie Drysdale and a second-round choice in the 2025 NHL Draft was leaked during the Flyers vs. Penguins game on January 8. There was pandemonium.

Briere calmly but firmly addressed why Gauthier was dealt, underlining that the organization was not going to accept the antics of a player who made it apparent he didn’t want to be a Flyer.

Before Drysdale even landed at the airport, fans in the city had united behind Briere and Jones, and they made sure Gauthier knew he was in big trouble the next time the Ducks visited to town. By the standards of Philly fans, at least, it was roughly as joyful of an ending as one could ask for.

Except that this saga was nowhere close to being over.

Gauthier made some of his first remarks in public on Wednesday.

“That’s the question kind of everyone’s wondering, and the biggest thing I can say right now is I have to keep it to myself, my family and my agent,” the 19-year-old said, per The Athletic. “It’s been a long process in the past handful of months of dealing with this. I don’t think it’s the right time to kind of discuss it. There might be one day where I kind of get into details on what happened. Right now, I want to keep it to a private matter.”

Therefore, the reason for Gauthier’s camp cutting off communication with the Flyers despite their repeated attempts to reach him remains unknown.

Hours after the news emerged on Monday night, San Filippo said that he had spoken with someone in the Flyers organization and that Kevin Hayes, a forward for the St. Louis Blues who was once a Flyer, had his “fingerprints” all over the Gauthier case.

Both Gauthier and Hayes angrily disputed this.

“I’ve been aware of the circulating rumors that Kevin Hayes is involved in this,” Gauthier said. “I want to clarify that he has nothing to do with this whatsoever. He’s got nothing at all (to do with it). Some of the people who are kind of saying this stuff about his family and stuff like that, (it) is pretty gutless”

Hayes categorically refuted the rumor right away. Still need proof that he was unrelated to this, though? Take a look at Tortorella’s and Gauthier’s respective responses.

What team is Cutter Gauthier on?

Top prospect Cutter Gauthier was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday by the Philadelphia Flyers, who claimed he didn’t want to play for them. In exchange, the Ducks received defender Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round selection. Reporters were informed by Flyers general manager Danny Briere that the deal “was a long time coming.”

Will Cutter Gauthier play in the NHL?

The Philadelphia Flyers traded Cutter Gauthier, the fifth overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday in exchange for Jamie Drysdale and a second-round choice in the 2025 NHL Draft.

 

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