The Florida Panthers are coming off a stellar 2023-24 season run. After battling through several opponents, the Panthers won the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals. Sixth-year center Carter Verhaeghe has been an integral part of the team’s success, and he and the Panthers agreed to a sizeable contract extension following the team’s win over the Boston Bruins Tuesday.
Verhaeghe and Florida have agreed to an eight-year extension, per Panthers Digital Content Manager Jameson Olive.
“I’m so proud to be able to wear the Panther logo for a long time,” Verhaeghe said, per Olive.
Verhaeghe will receive approximately $7 million in each of the eight years, Eliotte Friedman further reported. In addition, he will receive $48 million in bonuses.
Carter Verhaeghe began his NHL career during the 2019-20 season with the Tampa Bay Lighting, where he won his first Stanley Cup title. After one season, he joined the Panthers and saw steady improvement. Verhaeghe amassed 18 goals, 18 assists, and totaled 36 points in 2020-21 before leaping to 24 goals and 31 assists for 55 points. Then, he had a career year in 2022-23, garnering 42 goals and 31 assists for 73 points.
Verhaeghe comes off a 2023-24 season of 34 goals and 38 assists for 72 points. His efforts helped the Panthers win their first franchise title.
Florida finished the season with a 52-24-6 record, which placed them at the top of the Atlantic Division. They began their 2024-25 campaign on a mission for similar success. The Panthers won their season debut against the Bruins 4-0 on Tuesday night, just before the big Carter Verhaeghe contract news was announced.
With Verhaeghe and the rest of the team’s stout contributors, the Panthers will be tough to stop. Florida started their new campaign ranked No. 1 on ClutchPoints’ NHL Week 1 NHL Power Rankings. Their win over Boston has them out of the gate hot, and the team looks to continue their efforts through the first part of the season as chase more greatness.