Why re-sign early? Verhaeghe sees 'something special' with Panthers

SUNRISE, Fla. - Carter Verhaeghe didn't feel like waiting.
Despite having one year remaining on his current contract, the 25-year-old forward further cemented his commitment to the Panthers last week when he put pen to paper on a three-year contract extension that will keep him chasing down pucks and scoring goals in South Florida through the 2024-25 campaign.

"I wanted to be there, and they wanted me to be there, too," Verhaeghe said shortly after signing his new deal. "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. I'm happy to get this done, so it takes a bit of the pressure off next year."
During his first season in Sunrise, it was usually Verhaeghe that was applying the pressure on the ice.
Taking his plentiful talents across the state after helping the Lightning hoist the Stanley Cup as a rookie in 2019-20, the puck-retrieving ace received a golden opportunity from Panthers coach Joel Quenneville right out of the gate and confidently ran with it during what proved to be a breakout 2020-21 campaign.
Entrenched on the team's top line alongside all-world center Aleksander Barkov from the moment the puck first dropped in January, Verhaeghe went on to set new career-highs in goals (18), assists (18) and points (36) while seeing his average ice time nearly double from the year before to 17:44 over 43 games.
Also appearing in six games against his former team in the playoffs, he tallied two goals and one assist.
"I love it here," Verhaeghe said. "The teammates, the staff, the whole organization has been awesome. To be there for the next four years is something special. It's nice to make South Florida my home."
Never going more than three games without earning a point (a minimal drought he only experienced once), Verhaeghe's chemistry with Barkov seemed to be instantaneous. And while opening up the season on a four-game point streak, his first goal was assisted by none other than Florida's captain.

"It's a pretty good player to be beside all year," Verhaeghe said of Barkov. "I got pretty lucky. He's an awesome player. I can't say enough good things about him. He's a great leader, too. He's so easy to play with. He's so good defensively and offensively. He's pretty much the total complete player."
A two-way threat just like Barkov, Verhaeghe's contributions were also very prevalent in the possession game. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, when he was on the ice at 5-on-5, the Panthers held lopsided advantages over the opposition in shot attempts (717-504), scoring chances (290-204) and goals (37-15).
Among Florida's regular forwards, Verhaeghe's 58.72 CF% placed him behind only Barkov's 58.90 CF%.
"Carter emerged as one of the best possession forwards in hockey last season, elevating his game to fill an important role on our team," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said in the team's official release announcing Verhaeghe's extension. "His effort, speed and creativity are infectious on and off the ice."
While his career is beginning to take off, Verhaeghe also remembers what it took to get to this point.
Selected by the Maple Leafs in the third round (82nd overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft, it wasn't until he led the AHL in goals (34) and points (82) during the 2018-19 season that he finally earned a chance to play in the NHL with the Lightning. Since then, he hasn't looked back at all. But with his third season in the NHL on the horizon, it's amazing how both close and far away that time paying his dues in the minors feels.
"I've bounced around to different teams," said Verhaeghe, who also spent time in the ECHL. "It's been a long road to kind of get a little bit of security, but it finally paid off. It's still kind of sinking in a little bit."
Right now, that "sinking in" feeling likely also applies to a lot of excited fans throughout South Florida.
Fresh off posting the fourth-best record in the NHL in 2020-21, Verhaeghe is part of a gifted group of key players that have already been re-signed or acquired by the Panthers this summer as the team works to fortify its plans to contend for the Stanley Cup during what is shaping up to be a thrilling 2021-22 campaign.
In addition to extending Verhaeghe, better known as "Swaggy" around the locker room, the team inked new long-term deals with Anthony Duclair, Gustav Forsling and Brandon Montour in recent weeks, while also adding another dynamic talent to their lineup by picking up Sam Reinhart in a trade with the Sabres.
Peering into the future with a new deal in hand, Verhaeghe can't think of anywhere else he'd rather be.
"I think we're trending in the right direction," Verhaeghe said. "This is a team that has a lot of potential. Last year, we kind of showed everyone and put ourselves on the map. I think we have a lot more to give. We have the right pieces. We're all kind of at the same point in our career and trying to build. I think with this group we can do something special. It's a really exciting time to be a part of the Panthers."