The Florida Panthers and one of their big time goal scorers have agreed to terms. You know you are a deep team, like the Panthers are, when you hear a statement like that, and not sure which of the four or five players we could be talking about. There’s plenty of reasons why the Florida Panthers captured the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup championship. But as he signs the contract, having someone like Carter Verhaeghe as just another of the guys, shows how strong of a team the Panthers had. The contract is for eight years and will see him earn an average annual value of $7 million.
Mentioned they were closing in during pregame tonight
8 x $7M https://t.co/EPrlE8VcXU
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 9, 2024
Carter Verhaeghe Re-Signs an Extension to Stay With the Florida Panthers
Carter Verhaeghe was a bit of a late bloomer, having to apply his craft down in the ECHL a couple different times, before working his way up to a more regular AHL role. Then, he was able to crack an eventual Stanley Cup winning lineup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019-20. And since that time, has never really looked back. On another note, for those fans that may not have remembered, Verhaeghe is originally a Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick from the third round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Carter Verhaeghe has really taken advantage of the opportunity that South Florida has brought him. Panthers current general manager Bill Zito originally signed Verhaeghe back in 2020-21 for a $1 million a year contract. And since that signing, wow, has it ever paid dividends. In four seasons with the Panthers, Verhaeghe had a career-high 42 goals one season, and overall 118 goals and 118 assists good for 236 through 278 games. Moreover, Verhaeghe still doesn’t really give vibes of being a goal-scorer, despite his fantastic goal scoring rate. He works hard, isn’t afraid of contact when he is battling off the cycle down low, and has a decent snapshot that has turned him into a goal-scorer. At the end of the day, he is a producer. In 2023-24, he finished second on the Panthers in goals (34) and fourth in points (72). That was all the while playing just shy of 18 minutes a night. Furthermore, he even picked it up slightly for the Panthers in the post-season. On the way to capturing the cup, Verhaeghe had 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points in 24 games played.
What Does this Mean for the Florida Panthers
The Panthers ended the 2024 campaign with a Stanley Cup victory. However, they also headed into the free agency period with a lot of free agents. Sometimes this can happen when a team plays late into June, and the contract negotiations are understandably pushed back. And if they had to pay one of the players, it might as well be a good one. And Carter Verhaeghe certainly is a good one.
Main photo credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
