Carter Verhaeghe has made it clear: he wants to remain with the Florida Panthers for the foreseeable future. As the 29-year-old forward enters the final year of his current contract, Verhaeghe expressed his desire to stick with the team, following in the footsteps of teammate Sam Reinhart, who secured a long-term deal after a standout season.
“I want to stay,” Verhaeghe told Florida Hockey Now. “This is the first time I’ve been in this situation, and my priority is to stay. I love playing for the Florida Panthers, and it’s hard to imagine wearing any other jersey. I’ve been here for four years now, and this feels like home.”
Verhaeghe’s current contract, a three-year extension worth $12.5 million, was signed in 2021. As he enters the final year of that deal, he remains hopeful of reaching an agreement with the Panthers before hitting free agency. The comparison to Reinhart’s situation is striking. Last year, Reinhart had a career-best season, scoring 57 goals and 10 more during Florida’s Stanley Cup run, which earned him an eight-year, $69 million contract extension just before free agency began.
While Verhaeghe hasn’t put up Reinhart’s numbers, he’s been an essential part of the Panthers’ success. Two seasons ago, Verhaeghe scored 42 goals, followed by another strong campaign last year with 34 goals. His clutch performances in the playoffs, where he holds the franchise record for 26 postseason goals and 10 game-winning goals, have made him a fan favorite in Florida. This past postseason, Verhaeghe added 10 goals and 21 points in 24 games, including key moments such as scoring the first goal in Game 7 against the Oilers and assisting on Reinhart’s game-winner.
Verhaeghe’s journey to becoming a Panthers mainstay has been one of perseverance. Originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs, he moved through a few teams before landing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2020. However, Tampa Bay did not offer him a qualifying contract, allowing Florida to sign him. After an impressive debut season with the Panthers, he was rewarded with the extension that’s now nearing its end.
As the Panthers prepare to open training camp, Verhaeghe is optimistic about the team’s future, despite some roster changes. Due to salary cap constraints, Florida wasn’t able to retain everyone from last year’s squad. While key players like Reinhart and Dmitry Kulikov signed new contracts, others, including Brandon Montour, Ryan Lomberg, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Anthony Stolarz, have moved on.
“We’ve had some guys leave, and I’m happy for them—they got good deals,” Verhaeghe said. “But we’ve still got a strong core returning, and that gives us a lot of confidence. We accomplished something special last year, and we’re ready to do it again. Leadership is going to be key for us this season.”
With Verhaeghe’s commitment to staying and his continued growth as a key player, the Panthers are in a strong position to remain competitive. Both the team and Verhaeghe will hope to finalize a deal soon, keeping him in Florida as they aim for another deep playoff run.
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