2021-22 Season Rewind: Carter Verhaeghe

Carter Verhaeghe became a household name not once, but twice this past season as fans throughout South Florida had fully embraced the legend of "Swagu" by the end of 2021-22.
A staple on the left side of the top line for the Panthers, the 26-year-old forward registered new career-highs in goals (24), assists (31) and points (55). Rarely missing a shift let alone a game, he also achieved a new personal best by skating in 78 out of a possible 82 games with Florida.
As for his heroics in the playoffs, we'll get to that shortly.

"When he gets flying like that like he did tonight, he's really dangerous and really hard to contain," forward Anthony Duclair said after Verhaeghe potted a pair of crucial goals in a 4-3 overtime win at Carolina back on Jan. 8. "When he gets going like that, he's such a threat."
One of the top puck-retrievers in the NHL, Verhaeghe's nose for the rubber made him one of the best possession players on the Panthers for the second straight season. When he was on the ice at 5-on-5, Florida owned large advantages in shot attempts (1,257-880) and goals (59-38).
Among Panthers that played at least 50 games, he ranked second with a 58.82 CF%.
With those strong underlying numbers typically leading to realized results, Verhaeghe posted 13 multi-point games and five multi-goal games. His hottest stretch of the season - outside of the playoffs - came from Jan. 8-20 when he found the back of the net six times over six contests.
Since joining the Panthers as a free agent in October of 2020, Verhaeghe's 42 goals over the last two seasons place him behind only Aleksander Barkov (65) and Jonathan Huberdeau (50).
"Every time he steps on the ice, he wants to score a goal," Barkov said of Verhaeghe, who was by far his most-common linemate this past season. "He wants to be the guy, he wants to create the scoring chances. I'm having a lot of fun playing with him and going through this season together. He's a great guy, great player, and I'm really lucky to be playing with him."
And every time he stepped onto the ice in the postseason, good things happened.
Helping the Panthers move past Round 1 of the playoffs for the first time since 1996, Verhaeghe set new single-series franchise records for both goals (6) and points (12) against the Capitals.
After netting the game-winning goals in both Games 4 and 5, Verhaeghe, who rallied after missing morning skate with an undisclosed injury, came up clutch again in the decisive Game 6 when he backhanded a shot past Ilya Samsonov from the slot in overtime to lock in a 4-3 win.
In the history of the NHL, only 12 players have scored three straight game-winners.
"With his speed and taking pucks to the net and making it hard for their D, that's exactly what we need him to do," forward Patric Hornqvist said. "He's been stepping up huge for us. Those goals tonight couldn't come at a better time."
Quickly becoming a key part of Florida's core, Verhaeghe is locked up through 2024-25.
"I wanted to be there, and they wanted me to be there, too," Verhaeghe said shortly after signing his three-year extension last summer. "I think it's the right fit. I love it there. The organization is second to none. I have a lot of great teammates. It's just awesome."
COOL STAT
You rarely have to yell "shoot" when Verhaeghe is on the ice.
Firing off a career-high 167 shots on goal this season, the shifty sniper ranked second among Panthers forwards in shots at 5-on-5 with 149. Of those 149 shots 14.9% ended up in the back of the net, giving him the second-best shooting percentage at 5-on-5 among his teammates.
But even when he didn't light the lamp, good things usually happened when he puck the puck on net as he generated a team-high 23 rebounds at 5-on-5, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
As for the key to his lethal shot, Verhaeghe is keeping that close to the vest.
"I don't want to reveal too much of my secrets," he smiled.
BEST GAME
This was a game that Cats fans won't soon forget.
Setting a new franchise record for points in a single playoff game, Verhaeghe recorded two goals and three assists to help fuel the Panthers to a stunning 5-3 comeback win over the Capitals in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round at FLA Live Arena on May 11.
Trailing 3-0 in the second period, Verhaeghe sparked the pushback for the Panthers when he tracked down a bouncing puck and sent it pas Ilya Samsonov to make it 3-1. Early in the third, he then found the back of the net again with a goal in transition to give Florida the lead at 4-3.
"We kind of took over in the second," said Verhaeghe, who also assisted on goals from Patric Hornqvist, Sam Reinhart and Claude Giroux. "We were making plays and playing the right way. We were moving our feet, getting pucks on net. That's what happens when we play our way."
GOAL OF THE YEAR
Just two days before his five-point outburst, Verhaeghe scored the biggest goal of his career.
Becoming the fourth player in franchise history to score a game-winning goal in overtime in the playoffs, Verhaeghe -- after having his initial shot stopped -- buried his own rebound to lift the Cats to a 3-2 win over the Capitals in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round on May 9.
Thanks to those heroics, Florida evened up the series at 2-2.
"It was great," Verhaeghe said after the win. "I'm just happy we won the game and that we can go back home in front of our home fans and compete again with the series tied. It's a best-of-3 now, and we have the home-ice advantage again. That's the thing I'm happy about the most."
STAY IN TOUCH
Want to see how Verhaeghe spends his time during the offseason?
Make sure to give him a follow at @carterverhaeghe on Instagram!