Cutter Gauthier is having one heck of a season with the Anaheim Ducks. He has 16 points and 10 goals across his first 12 games, and looks like the next star player in Orange County. But you know what? Trevor Zegras is also having a stellar season so far after the Ducks gave up on him.
Through 13 games, Zegras has four goals and 15 points, showing he's capable of putting up over a point per game and transforming into one of the NHL's best playmakers. You can also give credit to Zegras for at least trying to make things work in Anaheim before the Flyers traded for him, unlike Gauthier, who wouldn't even sign with the Flyers.
As for why he wouldn't sign? There have been theories, such as Kevin Hayes' warning Gauthier against playing for the organization, or the timing of signing his entry level contract, but nothing is set in stone. Either way, learning that Gauthier wanted out was a bummer for Flyers fans, who were expecting to see him take the ice for them at some point after he was drafted in 2022 and subsequently attended development camp.
It's classless to refuse to give a reason for wanting to move on, even if Gauthier wasn't obliged to. Contrast that with Trevor Zegras, who was pushed into a position he wasn't comfortable playing in Anaheim, and his production stagnated. So you can't blame Zegras for playing in another uniform the way you can with Gauthier.
What Trevor Zegras is doing in Philadelphia is just phenomenal
What's amazing about Zegras is that he joined a team that didn't figure to compete this season, while the Ducks started exceeding expectations in 2024-25. That carried over into 2025-26 while the Flyers were still searching for an identity.
Given the fact Rick Tocchet-led teams don't generate a ton of scoring changes, Zegras putting up over a point per game right now is nothing short of remarkable. Nobody expected that kind of play from Zegras, and even if he currently sat at 0.75 or 0.80 points per game instead of the 1.15 per game that he's currently at, it would be hard to blame him. At least until the Flyers start scoring consistently.
You can even credit Zegras for keeping the Flyers scoring afloat enough for them to jump out to a respectable 7-5-1 start. His playmaking has been on display all season, and he was the first Flyer to hit the 11-assist mark this year.
In other words, Zegras ended up with a team that was supposed to be one of the worst in hockey, while Gauthier's Ducks were expected to put up respectable play. That makes Zegras a valuable player to the Flyers, while Gauthier has a lot of established talent in Anaheim, like Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba, Mason McTavish, Troy Terry, Jackson LaCombe, and Leo Carlsson, plus Lukas Dostal in the net.
Cutter Gauthier has been impressive in Anaheim, but there will always be a catch
There's no denying that Cutter Gauthier's 10 goals in 12 games while scoring his first career hat trick against the Florida Panthers of all teams is impressive. The Ducks won that game 7-3, and it was already the third time this season the high-octane Ducks scored seven times.
But the catch is that the Ducks have a player who has already shown he doesn't mind ghosting teams, like he did with the Flyers. What's not to say he doesn't do the same thing in Anaheim at some point if they do something he doesn't like, or if he hears something he doesn't like from someone else?
Gauthier will always have that trust issue lingering until he shows that he's willing to commit to a franchise long-term. That means more than just signing a long-term contract with a team, but actually fulfilling the length of that contract.
Zegras is also in line for an extension. But for the casual hockey fan to look at both players and their respective histories, Zegras is the one with fewer trust issues because he at least tried to make things work in Anaheim.
Throw in Zegras' awesome numbers for a team that was supposed to do nothing this year and one that has yet to find its groove offensively, and what he's doing is sensational. Gauthier has put up great numbers himself, but the Ducks are in much less turmoil right now than the Flyers.