A panel of NHL scouts gathered by The Hockey News for their Future Watch issue has ranked the Anaheim Ducks' Cutter Gauthier a top-five prospect.

The Hockey News’ Future Watch issue will be out at the end of next week. In his Future Watch Weekly article, Editor in Chief, Ryan Kennedy, teased the top five prospects from THN’s ranked list of 100 names put together by a panel of NHL scouts. On that list among Brandt Clarke, Simon Edvinsson, Matvei Michkov, and Will Smith was the Anaheim Ducks’ own forward Cutter Gauthier.

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As of today, Gauthier is leading the NCAA in goals (25) and is fourth in points (42) through 28 games in 2023-24 for Boston College. Gauthier represented the United States at the World Junior Championship last month where he co-led the tournament in points (12 points in 7 games) en route to a Gold Medal. His scoring pace hasn’t let up since his return to BC, where he’s scored 11 goals and added 7 assists in 11 games.

Gauthier was acquired in a trade that surprised the hockey world on Jan. 8 when Danny Briere, General Manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Pat Verbeek, General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks, swapped former top-10 draft picks, Jamie Drysdale and Cutter Gauthier. The Ducks also sent a 2025 second-round pick Philadelphia’s way in the deal.

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Watching just one shift of Cutter Gauthier play hockey will give one an obvious idea of how he’s such a prolific goal-scorer. He’s a volume shooter, he’s never seen an angle he didn’t think he could score from and has been known to crack double-digit shots on goal in a single game. He works to get to dangerous areas in order to get his shot off whether that’s in the form of driving the puck to those high-danger areas or finding soft ice in the offensive zone before presenting himself as a passing option.

Gauthier is a powerful skater who pounces on pucks when an opportunity arises. He’s deft in transition, finding lanes to shoot or finding teammates cutting through the zone for a pass. In the offensive zone, he protects pucks with the best and uses his 6-foot-2 frame and strong edges to extend cycles.

When the shots aren’t finding the back of the net, he’s shown he can still contribute and have an impact on the ice and on the scoresheet. In seven World Junior games, Gauthier only managed to pot two goals (one of which was the game-winner late in the semi-final game vs Finland), but tallied ten assists and was a capable distributor from the right flank on the first power play unit.

Boston College has five more regular season games left on their schedule. Following the regular season, they’ll participate in the Hockey East Championship tournament and after that, the NCAA tournament. As reported, once BC’s season is over, Gauthier will sign his ELC and report to Anaheim where he’ll presumably make his NHL debut before the 2023-24 season is finished.

Cutter Gauthier will likely be considered for the Hobey Baker Award given to the NCAA’s top men’s ice hockey player.

He’s having a phenomenal 2023-24 season, but is Cutter Gauthier considered the best NHL prospect? We’ll find out what the scouts gathered by The Hockey News’ Brian Costello have to say this time next week.