Cutter Gauthier could be back in the Anaheim Ducks lineup Sunday night against the Vancouver Canucks after missing five games with an upper body injury. He said after practice Saturday, “Yep, that’s the plan,” when asked about returning.
Gauthier last played March 30, and his presence would give Anaheim another push as it tries to finish the regular season strong. The Ducks enter at 42-32-5 and have two games left after Sunday, against Minnesota and Nashville.
The 21-year-old forward leads Anaheim with 38 goals and is tied for first on the club with 65 points. Those numbers are part of a breakout season that has put him at the top of the Ducks’ scoring race and made him one of the most productive young players in the league this spring.
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His 38 goals are the most by a Ducks player since Corey Perry scored 43 in 2013-14, and his 12 goals in March were the most in any month by an Anaheim player since Perry had 15 in March 2011. That kind of production is why the Ducks are paying close attention to his status with the playoffs out of reach but the season still carrying weight.
Radko Gudas could also return Sunday after dealing with a lower body ailment, giving Anaheim a possible boost on both ends of the ice. The Ducks host the Canucks at 8:00 ET, with one more game after that on the schedule and the season winding toward its finish.
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The timing matters because Anaheim’s late surge has been built on goals, and Gauthier has supplied plenty of them. If he is cleared, the Ducks will get back their leading scorer just as they try to close the season with momentum intact.
