‘Fit as he’s ever been’: Verhaeghe ready for more after big summer

FORT LAUDERDALE – A short summer is the best summer.

For Florida Panthers sniper Carter Verhaeghe, it was also an unforgettable one.

“It's been a great summer,” he said. “I guess it's been pretty busy, after winning and getting married. It's been definitely nothing but an awesome summer. I wish it was a little more spaced out, but I'll take it any way that I can. A lot of achievements, accomplishments, and it just feels really good.”

Even in a shortened offseason -- one with much celebration after bringing Lord Stanley to South Florida -- the man of many nicknames somehow found time to get in the best shape of his life.

Don’t believe me?

Just ask Paul Maurice.

“I think Carter is as fit as he’s ever been right now,” Florida’s bench boss said.

Hearing that could keep opposing goalies up at night.

Coming off a season in which he logged a career-high 17:58 of average time on ice per game, Verhaeghe is ready for more action as he tries to capture the third Stanley Cup of his career.

Even after a rigorous start to training camp, mental boost outweighs the physical drain.

“It is what it is,” Verhaeghe said of the team’s notoriously difficult camp. “It sometimes sucks when you're in it, but I think everyone is in the mindset knowing that it's going to pay off in a couple weeks or down the road, whether it's middle of season or playoffs or anything like that. It's just definitely something to it that it's kind of like suffer for now and then you get the reward later.”

Showing the pay off, in the last two seasons Verhaeghe has found that back of the net 76 times.

One third of a lethal top line for the Panthers, more goals should be in store for No. 23 as he is expected to start the season along the playmaking duo of Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart.

“We have so many good players on our team,” Verhaeghe said. “You get put with anyone on the team, they definitely have identity and they're really good players. Obviously starting with the captain in Barky (Barkov), he's a phenomenal player and it gives me a little bit of advantage. He's so good, you've seen it all year, and throughout his whole career, so I'm just fortunate to play alongside of him.”

A fixture within the top-six last season, Verhaeghe, who also spent time playing with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk, registered nearly a point-per-game with 72 points (34 goals, 38 assists) in 76 games.

Poised to chase another Cup, the Panthers are returning all eight of their top scorers from 2023-24.

“It definitely brings a little bit of advantage knowing what it takes and a lot of guys returning from the same team,” Verhaeghe. “We've been there, done it and know what it takes and how hard it's going to be. We're focusing on the goal this year and our goals to do it again.”

Entering his fifth season with the Panthers -- recording 236 points (118 goals, 118 assists) in 278 games in that time -- Verhaeghe has clearly enjoyed every second of his time in South Florida just as much as fans have loved watching him score big time goals.

Luckily, there’s still plenty more big goals to come.

“I love playing here,” Verhaeghe said. “It's like my home now. It feels like I've been here for a long time. I love playing, being a Panther and playing here. I love the guys, the organization, they’ve been nothing but first class ever since I came here, it feels like home.”