Cutter Gauthier and Joel Quenneville are staring at a contract standoff that has suddenly become the Ducks' biggest issue.
Anaheim and its restricted free agent have reached a pressure point, with Pierre LeBrun reporting Tuesday that a deal still isn't done despite another round of talks.
The Ducks made Gauthier a new offer Sunday. That represented movement, but it clearly wasn't enough to close the gap.
Now both sides are scheduled to meet again later Tuesday, and the timing has turned what looked like a normal RFA negotiation into something much more uncomfortable.
"On RFA Cutter Gauthier: critical day for both sides to try to close the deal. Still not done. Ducks made new offer on Sunday, which was progress. Both sides meet again later today. But if deal doesn't get done before old CBA expires tonight then there's an issue because of how the front-loaded rules change in the new CBA. And the front-loaded money is an important part of the current discussion."
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There's no indication either camp is ready to simply cave. Anaheim has already changed its offer, while Gauthier remains unsigned with the clock running.
That creates a strange position for the Ducks. They want one of their key young forwards secured, but every passing hour gives the negotiation more weight.
Cutter Gauthier contract talks hit pressure point
The real tension comes from LeBrun's warning about the current CBA expiring Tuesday night. If Gauthier isn't signed before then, the situation could become more complicated.
LeBrun stopped short of saying the sides are headed for a major fallout, but calling Tuesday a critical day tells the story. This isn't a negotiation Anaheim can casually drag into another week.
For Gauthier, there's little reason to blink if his camp believes the right contract is still available. For the Ducks, giving ground now could mean paying a price they've resisted throughout the process.
That's where negotiations can harden quickly. One side sees a deadline as leverage. The other sees it as a reason to hold its position even tighter.
Quenneville doesn't control the contract talks, but an unresolved deal can quickly become a hockey issue once preparation ramps up. Coaches want their roster available, settled and focused.
Anaheim still has time to get this done Tuesday. But the room for a quiet resolution is shrinking, and the Ducks' Sunday offer didn't finish the job.
The next meeting now carries real consequences. Either Gauthier and the Ducks finally find common ground, or this contract dispute moves into a much messier stage.
Will the Ducks regret playing hardball with Cutter Gauthier?
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