Rookie Midterms: How Cutter Gauthier could unlock his goal-scoring

Coming off a 38-goal season in the NCAA, Cutter Gauthier seemed on track to become a top-six winger for Anaheim this summer. One could easily imagine him skating next to Leo Carlsson or Mason McTavish, profiting from their playmaking ability and scoring goal after goal, just as he did in college.

That scenario hasn’t yet materialized.

Gauthier has produced at a respectable but not Calder-worthy pace, picking up a point every other game. And despite ripping shots like a machine gun, he has struggled to find the back of the net, sitting at seven markers at the season’s midpoint.

This scoring drought can be explained by a few factors—some within his control and others outside of it. We’re going to analyse them in this article, but it shouldn’t overshadow what has been an overall strong rookie se