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Cutter Gauthier wouldn’t answer phone calls with Briere or Jones, Gauthier cut all ties with the Flyers organization, thus they had to make a blockbuster move happen sooner rather than later before the cat was out of the bag. That’s pretty childish on Gauthier’s behalf, and in turn the Flyers made the right move to cut ties with him before the truth came out eventually to the public.
“He told us he didn’t want to be a Flyer. If you don’t want to be a Flyer, then you’re not going to be a Flyer.” – President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones
“He looked at us at the draft and told us that he was built to be a Flyer, wanted to be a Flyer. A few months later, he told us that he didn’t want to be a Flyer,” said Flyers General Manager Danny Briere yesterday after meeting with the media at the first intermission of the Pittsburgh Penguins game. “It was a long time coming it’s been going on for a while. We tried to give him space, we tried to get in touch with him many times. They (Gauthier’s camp) would not communicate. So at some point we had to make a decision, and we thought with what happened just a few days ago this was our time to probably get the highest value.”
What happened a few days ago was both Danny Briere and Keith Jones were shunned at the WJC Tournament in Sweden. They traveled there to let Gauthier know how important or vital he was to the organization moving forward, but they never got a chance to talk to him. So how did things go so wrong so quickly? This tuns out to be a common theme. Any time the Flyers top brass tries to talk with Cutter’s camp, they are shunned, to include John LeClair and Patrick Sharp. Gauthier’s camp hasn’t been transparent for 10 months or so, thus leading to this discourse.
Last night during Briere’s presser, he stated “Left Winger” or “Winger” multiple times when referring to Cutter Gauthier, even Keith Jones did with the broadcasting crew. Gauthier told me last February that he viewed himself as a Center. There is obviously a disconnect with how Gauthier and the Flyers organization view him, or how he would have been utilized in the future.
Gauthier also did not partake in Developmental Camp, so now everyone can connect the dots as to why. There are rumors surfacing that Gauthier did not want to play for John Tortorella. However, maybe, just maybe he wanted to sign at the end of last season, to which the Flyers asked him to go back to school for another year. Maybe that turned him to have a black eye on the organization, and that would fit given the timeline of events, at least according to Briere.
“I don’t know Cutter from a hole in the wall, so I’m not so interested in talking about him.” – John Tortorella
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A former Boston College Alum Kevin Hayes could be another reason as to why Gauthier did not sign. Anthony SanFilippo of Crossing Broad and Snow the Goalie reported on his podcast that someone in the Flyers organization had expressed to him their belief that “Kevin Hayes’s fingerprints are all over this (Gauthier not wanting to sign).” To SanFilippo’s defense, Gauthier thought of Hayes as a mentor, and would talk to him frequently. Things did not end blissfully with Hayes and the Flyers, so it’s quite possible. SanFilippo is a very credible reporter, and just doesn’t make things up.
See it how you may, all of these aforementioned reasons, to include a chaotic front office when Gauthier was drafted could be reasons why he did not want to sign with Philadelphia. Give it a few months, the real reason(s) will come out.
Jamie Drysdale
Drysdale hails from Toronto, Ontario and is just 21-years-old. Yes you read that right just 21-years-old. He was selected by the Ducks in the first round, sixth overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft. Drysdale has five points (1g,4a) in 10 games played with Anaheim this season. The 5’11, 185 pound defenseman has 45 points (8g,37a) in 123 games in four seasons with the Ducks (2020-24). He missed majority of the 2022-23 season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
A young Defenseman in Drysdale is a very good skater. Actually, that’s his top asset to his game. He can transition out of the zone and up the ice with the best of them, mainly due to his speed. He hits the neutral zone with speed, and when that happens he’s hard to stop. Drysdale can rush the puck up the ice, while making plays. Drysdale uses his skating and puck handling skills, to become strong in transition. He has a good hockey IQ and sees the ice well, thus he’s able to make the right place and passes two is open teammates. That is what makes him elusive on the Power Play, he always seems to find the open man.
His bread and butter is the Power Play, as the Flyers will finally now have a quarterback on the top Power Play unit immediately. He’s an excellent skater, keeps pucks in at the blue line, and makes the right plays with the man advantage. If not for injuries he may have close to 100 points as a defenseman in the NHL for his career at this point.
“I think what’s going to give this group of jolt is he is a high character kid too,” John Tortorella said following the Pittsburgh game yesterday. “From what is getting back to me there are going to be people upset there in Anaheim. Really exciting, I don’t know what else to say.”
Drysdale was partnered with Travis Sanheim at Flyers practice today. He will don the #9, which is Ivan Provorov’s old number. Drysdale was all smiles at the Flyers Training Center from all the videos I have seen of today’s practice. He is a good defenseman, and honestly a very good skating defenseman at that. Drysdale found out he was traded while the team was in Nashville. He flew out of Nashville at 5:45 in the morning to get into Philly, and head to practice by noon. Talk about commitment, talk about wanting to play for the Philadelphia Flyers.
“I’m looking forward to playing on this team. All the guys seem great,” – Jamie Drysdale said following his first practice.
A young 21-year-old in Drysdale says he knows Cam York (Yorkie he referred to him as), Nic Deslauriers, and Morgan Frost. He was pretty happy to know some of the guys on the team.
Welcome to Philly Jamie Drysdale
