Panthers sign Verhaeghe to 8-year extension worth reported $56M
The Florida Panthers signed winger Carter Verhaeghe to an eight-year extension, the team announced Tuesday.
The deal is worth $7 million annually, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
"I'm so proud to be able to wear the Panther logo for a long time," Verhaeghe said following Florida's 6-4 season-opening win over the Boston Bruins.
The contract will begin in 2025-26. Verhaeghe is currently in the last year of a pact carrying an annual cap hit of $4.167 million.
The new deal reportedly includes $48 million in bonuses and a no-movement clause for six years which begins immediately, per Friedman.
"Carter is one of our most trusted players. South Florida has watched him evolve into one of the NHL's most elite goal scorers while also being a relentless forechecker," general manager Bill Zito said. "His willpower and perseverance have allowed him to repeatedly succeed as a critical performer on the biggest stages.
"He is an integral part of our team now and into the future, and we are thrilled to see him remain a part of our core group."
Verhaeghe registered 34 goals and 38 assists in 76 games with the Panthers last season. He added 21 points in 24 playoff contests en route to Florida's Stanley Cup victory.
The 29-year-old set career highs with 42 goals and 73 points in 2022-23.
The majority of Florida's core is now locked up for the long haul.
| Player | UFA Year | AAV |
|---|---|---|
| C Aleksander Barkov | 2030 | $10M |
| RW Matthew Tkachuk | 2030 | $9.5M |
| RW Sam Reinhart | 2032 | $8.625M |
| LW Carter Verhaeghe | 2033 | $7M |
| C Anton Lundell | 2030 | $5M |
| D Gustav Forsling | 2032 | $5.75M |
The Panthers still have two key players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in 2025, though: center Sam Bennett and defenseman Aaron Ekblad. The team projects to have about $20 million in cap space next summer.
Florida signed Verhaeghe as a free agent in 2020 after his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He managed just 13 points in 52 outings in that campaign, but he helped the Bolts win the Stanley Cup.
He scored 18 goals in 43 games in his first year with the Cats, leading to his current three-year deal.
The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Verhaeghe - a Toronto native - in the third round in 2013. He also spent time in the New York Islanders organization, playing four years in the minors - including parts of two seasons in the ECHL - before cracking the NHL with the Lightning.