Ducks Could Trade Chris Kreider to Make Room for Cutter Gauthier

With training camp quickly approaching, the Anaheim Ducks have one major piece of unfinished business: getting Cutter Gauthier under contract. Gauthier remains a restricted free agent after a breakout 2025-26 season in which he led Anaheim with 41 goals and 69 points. He also produced 12 points in 12 playoff games, establishing himself as one of the most important pieces of the Ducks’ young core.

The problem is finding enough money to sign him.

Anaheim’s cap structure changed dramatically after the Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers’ five-year, $90 million offer sheet for Leo Carlsson and signed Pavel Mintyukov to a lucrative extension. General manager Pat Verbeek acknowledged in July that once Gauthier’s salary is determined, he will have work to do to make everything fit.

With camp approaching, that work could mean trading a veteran.

Chris Kreider Could Bring Ducks the Best Return

Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn are two potential salary-dump candidates, but Chris Kreider might make the most sense if Anaheim wants to clear significant cap space while also receiving something valuable in return.

Kreider carries a $6.5 million cap hit for 2026-27 and is entering the final season of his contract. Moving him would immediately give Anaheim substantially more flexibility to finalize Gauthier’s deal. Unlike Killorn or Vatrano, however, Kreider could have enough value that the Ducks wouldn’t necessarily need to attach an asset to move him.

The 35-year-old is coming off a bounce-back offensive season and remains capable of contributing goals, net-front scoring and special-teams value. For a team looking to add a veteran winger without committing to a long-term contract, Kreider could be an attractive target.

The biggest complication is his trade protection, meaning Anaheim cannot simply send him anywhere. Still, there are several teams with enough cap flexibility to make a deal work.

Seattle, Detroit and Columbus Make Sense

The Seattle Kraken should be one team Anaheim calls. Seattle has plenty of financial flexibility and could use another proven goal-scoring winger. Kreider’s ability around the net could immediately improve its forward group and power play.

The Detroit Red Wings are another intriguing destination. Detroit has been trying to turn its young core into a consistent playoff team, and adding Kreider would provide experience without creating a long-term cap commitment. The Red Wings also have the flexibility to absorb a sizeable portion of his $6.5 million salary.

Then there are the Columbus Blue Jackets, who similarly have room to work with. Kreider could provide Columbus with another veteran scorer while giving its younger forwards additional support.

Ducks Are Running Out of Time

Anaheim doesn’t necessarily have to trade Kreider before signing Gauthier. NHL teams can exceed the salary cap by 10 percent during the offseason, giving Verbeek some temporary flexibility.

But the larger issue isn’t going away.

Gauthier is a cornerstone player, and after what happened with Carlsson, the Ducks can hardly afford another contract negotiation with a young star dragging into camp. Trading Kreider could solve two problems at once: create the cap flexibility necessary to comfortably sign Gauthier while bringing an asset back to Anaheim.

With training camp approaching, Seattle, Detroit and Columbus should all be worth calling. Of Anaheim’s veteran trade candidates, Kreider may offer the Ducks their best opportunity to clear significant salary without simply dumping a contract.

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