"New villain in Philadelphia": Paul Bissonnette chimes in on Cutter Gauthier not wanting to be a Flyer

In a surprising move, the Philadelphia Flyers traded forward Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale. The deal also includes a second-round pick in the 2025 draft. Hockey analyst Paul Bissonnette shared his thoughts on Gauthier not wanting to be a Flyer.

Cutter Gauthier was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Flyers in the 2022 NHL draft. The move came as a surprise for Flyers fans, who expected the 19-year-old to be an integral member of the squad once he left Boston College, where Gauthier is a sophomore.

When Gauthier was drafted by the Flyers, GM Daniel Biere said that he was "built to be a Flyers." According to reports, though, Gauthier changed his mind months later and informed the team after the 2023 World Championship that he would not be signing with them.

Bissonnette also said that the interviews done by Gauthier following his draft eventually turned into 'smoke signals.' Now, it appears that Philadelphia has got itself a "new villain" in the town. Bissonnette tweeted:

"This is just getting more & more bizarre. He refuses to play for his idols rival? It’s like every interview he’s done post draft is sending smoke signals. Only one thing that’s for certain is that we have a new villain in Philadelphia."

In another tweet, he said:

"Cutter??? More like Cutthroat. The ultimate Mongolian reversal by Gauthier according to Briere. Love a good game of he said he said. What are flyers fans thinking right now??? I hope someone asks Torts about it. He may tell the reporter who asks it to f*ck off but who cares"

While addressing the trade, GM Briere said that the decision to move Gauthier was not a quick one, despite several teams engaged in trade talks. He said that it was the addition of a player like Drysdale that got things done quickly.

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Cutter Gauthier ends 2024 World Juniors as the best forward

Team USA won their sixth title after beating hosts Sweden 6-2 for the gold medal at the 2024 World Juniors last week. Cutter Gauthier ended the tournament as the leading scorer (12 points) alongside Buffalo Sabres prospect Jiri Kulich for the most points in the competition.

Cutter Gauthier had 37 points through 16 goals and 21 assists in 32 games for Boston College in the 2022–23 season. This season, he has notched up 13 points, totaling 23 points for Boston.

The 19-year-old will begin his NHL journey with the Anaheim Ducks, who boast talented youths in Leo Carlsson, Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish and Troy Terry.