Ducks acquire Gauthier from Philadelphia in exchange for Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick

“Obviously it was a tough decision to trade Jimmy Drysdale,” Verbeek said on the Ducks Steam channel. “He's a young, up-and-coming centre-back, but when I've been watching our team for the last month or so, we've struggled to score goals. This opportunity came up, and we really started to dive into it. As time went on.” Over the past month or so, we have done our best to close the deal.

“I want to thank Jimmy Drysdale for his hard work and dedication to the organization. He has a great future ahead of him. It was not an easy decision, but in Cutter we got a great player and a versatile player. We are excited to have him.”

Born in Skellefteå, Sweden and a native of Scottsdale, Arizona, Gauthier has scored 13-10=23 points with a +6 rating in 17 games with Boston College (Hockey East) this season to lead the Eagles in goals and rank sixth among all NCAA leaders in goals. As a redshirt freshman in 2022-23 with the Eagles, the 6-3, 190-pound forward tallied a team-high 16-21=37 points in 32 games, leading Boston College in goals, assists, points and power-play goals (7) while ranking second In Hockey East in power play goals and third in goals per game (.50). He was named a Hockey East Third Team All-Star and a unanimous selection to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.

“We will allow him to finish his season in [Boston College] “Let's see where it goes from there. We'd love to sign him and then have him play for Anaheim,” Verbeek said.

Gauthier's father, Sean, was a goaltender selected by Winnipeg in the ninth round of the 1991 NHL Draft. He appeared in one NHL game with San Jose in 1998-99, as well as 97 professional games in Sweden (2002-05) and 10 professional seasons In the American Hockey League and International Hockey League from 1991-00.

Drysdale, 21 (8/4/02), 8-37=45 points in 123 NHL games with the Ducks since debuting in 2020-21. The 5-11, 185-pound defenseman appeared in 10 games for Anaheim in the 2023-24 season, earning 1-4=5 points after missing 29 games with an upper-body injury. He set career highs in points (4-28=32), goals, assists and appearances in 81 games in 2021-22, ranking second in points, assists, shots (137) and appearances among NHL rookie defensemen.

Selected by Anaheim in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Drysdale recorded 16-71=87 points in 112 games in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with Erie. He was named an OHL First Team All-Star in 2019-20 after scoring 9-38=47 points in 49 games, and was also named to the 2018-19 OHL First All-Rookie Team after scoring 7-33=40 points in 63 games.

A native of Toronto, Ontario, Drysdale has represented Canada at back-to-back World Junior Championships (2020 and 2021), including a gold medal at the 2020 championships and a silver in 2019.