Panthers Pulse: Carter Verhaeghe Due for Big Contract Year and Bigger Pay Day
After scoring some of the biggest goals in franchise history, Carter Verhaeghe has a big contract year ahead of him — and possibly an even bigger pay day waiting for him.
Photo courtesy of Colby Guy
Leading up to the beginning of training camp, Pucks and Palms will be previewing each of the key pieces of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers in a series called ‘Panthers Pulse’ heading into the 2024-25 season. Carter Verhaeghe is next.
2023-24 Stats: 34 goals, 72 points, 76 GP (Playoffs: 11 goals, 21 points, 24 GP)
If you go through a list of the most iconic goals in Florida Panthers history, chances are Carter Verhaeghe’s name will be on that list at least five times.
And he has done all of that on one of the biggest bargains of a contract in NHL history.
That will change next summer when Verhaeghe’s three-year contract carries a $4.15 million annual cap hit is set to expire.
Verhagehe’s list of accomplishments since his arrival on a two-year “prove it” deal in 2021 is astonishing.
He scored the overtime winning goal to give the team its first playoff series win since 1996 during the 2022 playoffs, finished that run with six goals and 12 points in 10 games, scored another 18 goals and 38 points in 45 playoff games in two-straight runs to the Stanley Cup Final, scored another seven game-winning goals in the process, and finished all of that off with a goal and an assist in a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
And that is not even counting his regular season accomplishments.
He scored 42 goals in 2022-23 before following that up with 34 this past season after his regular season was cut short due to injury.
In total, Verhaeghe ranks ninth in regular season goals (118), second in postseason points (53) and first in playoff goals (26) in Panthers franchise history.
Verhaeghe is one of the most consequential players to ever play for the Panthers — and he is going to get paid for it come July.
And like Sam Reinhart before him, he is likely to have a big regular season ahead of him, too.
Reinhart put up an astounding career-high 57 goals last year en route to an eight-year, $69 million pay day this past summer.
As Reinhart’s numbers go back down to Earth, Verhaeghe likely has the opportunity to do something similar.
Verhaeghe is certainly capable of doing so.
Even in a system as tightly defensive as Paul Maurice’s, Verhaeghe’s scoring numbers have thrived. After all, his career-high of 42 goals came in his first season as head coach.
Verhaeghe is great at creating space in tight areas, giving him just enough room to unload a shot — and boy, he has a great shot.
As the Panthers try to capture lightning in a bottle and repeat what they did this past season to win a Championship, Verhagehe will likely do wonders in that environment. After all, he plays his best hockey in those playoff style games.
He is just that guy — and he will get paid like it.
Up Next in Panthers Pulse: Tomas Nosek
Previously: Matthew Tkachuk, Gustav Forsling, Sam Bennett, Evan Rodrigues, Eetu Luostarinen, Uvis Balinskis, Anton Lundell, Sergei Bobrovsky, Spencer Knight, Aleksander Barkov, Adam Boqvist, A.J. Greer, Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola, Nate Schmidt, Tobias Bjornfot, Mackie Samoskevich, Jonah Gadjovich