It was always going to be a long shot for one of the Ducks’ rookies to win the 2024-25 Calder Memorial Trophy.
While many pegged the San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini or the Philadelphia Flyers’ Matvei Michkov to win the award in their preseason predictions, few had defenseman Lane Hutson, who ultimately won the award, as their top pick.
Cutter Gauthier fell into the tier of contention just below the true Calder candidates, playing in all 82 games of his rookie season and notching his first 20-goal campaign in the NHL. After a slow start that saw him yo-yo’d throughout the Ducks lineup, he settled into a complementary role alongside Mason McTavish and eventually found himself as one half of a dynamic duo alongside Leo Carlsson following the 4 Nations Face-off break.
A strong second half in which he had 22 points in 28 games led to six fourth-place votes and 74 fifth-place votes in the Calder Trophy voting. Gauthier also carried over his momentum from the end of the NHL season into the IIHF Worlds, where he helped Team USA win their first Worlds gold in over 90 years.
Defenseman Drew Helleson began the 2024-25 season in the AHL, but was recalled in November and spent the rest of the season up with the big club. He eventually carved out a regular spot in the Ducks’ lineup due to injuries to fellow defensemen and Cam Fowler’s departure via trade. Helleson averaged a shade over 16 minutes of time on ice after the 4 Nations Face-off break, proving to be a go-to option in late-game and penalty killing situations for former head coach Greg Cronin.
Helleson’s play in his rookie season was deemed good enough to earn one fifth-place vote in the Calder Trophy voting. He was tied for second in goals and points among all rookie defensemen and led all rookie defensemen in plus-minus with a plus-6 rating.
Though he was utilized heavily by Cronin and assistant Brent Thompson, both are no longer with the team and the path to a regular lineup spot may be a bit steeper now with Joel Quenneville coming in and all players likely getting a clean slate come training camp. Helleson is also a restricted free agent this summer.
Gauthier and Helleson are just two of the many promising, young players that the Ducks have at their disposal. With players like Beckett Sennecke, Ian Moore and others also looking like they’re ready to make the jump to the next level, they may have another player receiving Calder Trophy votes quite soon.
Featured image caption: Feb 27, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier (61) celebrates his goal scored against the Vancouver Canucks with defenseman Drew Helleson (43) and center Isac Lundestrom (21) during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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