With Anaheim matching Leo Carlsson's staggering 18 million AAV contract, there are rumblings that Gauthier could be looking for 15 million himself. That would put the Ducks in a pretty tough bind cap-wise moving forward and leads me to wonder if they may explore the trade market to help their very thin RD situation and provide a more balanced lineup.

To the New York Rangers  

Cutter Gauthier 

To Anaheim

Alexis Lafrenière LW/RW

Braden Schneider RD

E.J Emery

2027 1st Round pick

Both teams would still have some work to do with cap space in this deal, but I am pretty positive both can shave off the extra if need be. For Anaheim they have some time with Troy Terry being injured and the Rangers would only have to shave off a million which shouldn't be that hard to do.

This would give the Rangers another top goal producer to go with Dorofeyev whom they picked up earlier in the summer from Vegas and a potentially lethal top line .

This is a tough gulp move for the Ducks but Lafreniere added a nice wrinkle to his game last year in that he had a huge boom defensively and really started to show some promise he could reach closer to his draft projection offensively. He may never reach those heights but I like the direction.

Schneider adds some much-needed stability to Anaheim's right side on D and still has good upside in my opinion to a be dependable RD as he has made steady improvement every year. Emery could be switched with several prospects but I figured the Ducks would continue looking towards mending the loses they took on defense over the summer. 

To the Detroit Red Wings 

Cutter Gauthier 

To the Anaheim Ducks 

Emmitt Finnie C/LW

Lucas Kasper C/LW

Axel Sandin Pellikka RD

Whether Detroit finally makes the deal with Minnesota we all expect will happen or find a way to persuade Larkin to reconcile of which this deal could help a lot to show they are serious about improving. Getting a 40 goal scorer with plenty of upside would be a huge boost to everyone that dawns a winged wheel. Yes the center position would still have to be figured out but whether it is Larkin or someone on the market, Cutter would be a great piece to attract a player to Detroit to fill the position. Nate Danielson is also on the cusp and might be a able to succeed with Gauthier and Raymond on his flank

For Anaheim they get two players with bright futures. Finnie fared well last year against top competition as a 2o year old which is not an easy feat and has plenty of upside while Kasper had a sophomore slump for sure but that is really par for the course for most young player. I personally think it was just a bump in the road that will see him turn out as a dependable 2C. Pellikka would be the RW that the Ducks desperately need moving forward. Axel is still a bit raw but has all the tools to be an excellent defenseman in the near future.