Danny Briere Happy Flyers’ Top Prospect is Staying at BC

Center Cutter Gauthier, 19, a top-notch Philadelphia Flyers’ prospect and a player who had an outstanding freshman season at Boston College, announced last month he had decided to stay in school for another year.

Danny Briere applauded the decision Monday.

Briere, the Flyers’ interim general manager, said Gauthier’s decision works for both sides.

“We told them about our vision and what we see moving forward,” Briere said, “and he had a discussion with his adviser and family, and they decided it was better for him to go back another year.”

As a freshman, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Gauthier led BC in goals(16) and points (37) in 32 games. He was chosen fifth overall in the 2022 draft, and he is regarded as the top prospect in the Philadelphia Flyers’ system.

Briere said “I really don’t have a problem” with Gauthier going back for a sophomore season. “I think it’s going to give him a chance to hopefully be even more dominant than he was this year. Another year at World Juniors. I’m really excited about it.”

Gauthier is expected to be a Philadelphia Flyers regular in 2024-25. He is one of the key players in the Flyers’ rebuild.

“We’re going to get a bigger, better, faster, more mature Cutter Gauthier the following year,” Briere said, referring to the 2024-25 season. “So I’m really excited about his development this year.”

After he was drafted by the Flyers, Gauthier said his goal was the play one year at Boston College and then head to the NHL. That changed at some point.

Gauthier has been compared to a young Jeff Carter, a former Flyers center who has 431 career goals and is now with Pittsburgh. He was probably the Flyers’ last true sniper.

When he does reach the NHL, Gauthier will bring speed, a powerful shot, physicality, and good hands to the lineup.

In Philly Hockey Now’s preseason list of top-10 Flyers prospects, Gauthier was at the top. Here is the list:

1. Gauthier. 2. defenseman Emil Andrae. 3. right winger Tyson Foerster. 4. right winger Wade Allison. 5. right winger Bobby Brink. 6. left winger/center Noah Cates. 7. defenseman Egor Zamula. 8. center/winger Tanner Laczynski. 9. defenseman Ronnie Attard. 10. left winger Elliot Desnoyers.

There will be a handful of changes in the updated list, but Gauthier will remain at No. 1.

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