MAJOR: Truth Behind The Trade Of Philadelphia Flyers Top Prospect Gauthier Is Sending Shockwaves Through The NHL
Photo credit: The Hockey News
Many were left in disbelief today as Philadelphia Flyers GM Danny Briere traded away Cutter Gauthier, considered by many as one of the best prospects in the team NHL. The surprising move has raised eyebrows, and now the reasons behind Briere's decision are coming to light.
Unveiling the Reason for the Cutter Gauthier Trade
Briere traded Gauthier, the 5th overall pick in the 2022 draft currently playing for Boston College, to the Anaheim Ducks for young defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick.
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It has been revealed that Gauthier played a pivotal role in forcing Briere's hand, refusing to meet or negotiate with him or any members of the Philadelphia Flyers organization. This included a denied meeting request at the World Junior Hockey Championships.
"Apparently, Philadelphia had a lot of trouble trying to meet with Gauthier at World Juniors. Belief was he preferred not to play there, so Flyers made this deal." - Elliotte Friedman, Sportsnet
More concerning is it looks like Gauthier just straight up flip-flopped on his desire to sign with the team that drafted him.
«He looked at us at the draft and told us that he was built to be a Flyer. Wanted to be a Flyer. A few months later, he told us that he didn't want to be a Flyer," Briere said.
"Flyers GM Danny Briere has been working on this trade for months. Gauthier wouldn't sign or talk with the Flyers, so they felt it was best to move on now." - Darren Dreger, TSN
"Wowzers. This is one we get to look back on in 10 years and re-examine. As @frank_seravalli said, Gauthier didn't want to sign with the Flyers and I'm told wouldn't meet with the Flyers front office to let them explain their plan. Flyers made best of it given those circumstances." - Pierre Lebrun
At just 19 years old, Gauthier has been a standout player on the international stage, contributing significantly to Team USA's success in various tournaments. Notably, he played a key role in securing a gold medal for the United States at the 2024 World Junior Championship, where he not only co-led the tournament in points with an impressive 12 points but also served as an alternate captain. Gauthier's stellar performance earned him recognition as the Best Forward and a spot on the 2024 tournament All-Star Team. His pivotal contributions included scoring the game-winning goal in the third period of the Semifinal, propelling the U.S. to the gold medal game.
Selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft, Gauthier demonstrated his scoring prowess at the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) U-18 team in the 2021-22 season, recording 34 goals and 31 assists for a total of 65 points in 54 games with a +33 rating. This performance placed him second in goals and fifth in points among team leaders. His earlier season with the USNTDP U-17 team in 2020-21 saw him tally 20 goals, 17 assists, and 37 points in 44 games. Gauthier's remarkable achievements make him a rising star in the hockey world.
Previously on PuckReporter
| POLL |
8 JANVIER | 356 ANSWERS MAJOR: Truth Behind The Trade Of Philadelphia Flyers Top Prospect Gauthier Is Sending Shockwaves Through The NHL What do you think of Gauthier's refusal to play in Philadelphia? |
| His choice | 147 | 41.3 % |
| Very disrespectful | 176 | 49.4 % |
| I'm not sure | 33 | 9.3 % |
| LIST OF POLLS |
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