A clutch Panthers performance in the playoffs? Carter Verhaeghe strikes again
The Florida Panthers last October didn’t agree to pay Carter Verhaeghe $56 million over the course of seven seasons to lead the NHL in regular season goals.
They gave Verhaeghe the bag for nights like Sunday — and have to feel great about the decision, no matter how the previous six months went.
In Florida’s 2-0 Game 4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Panthers’ 29-year-old forward gave his team a first-period lead it wouldn’t relinquish and again solidified his place as one of the franchise’s most clutch players.
Verhaeghe now has 30 playoff goals in the last five years — just one of five active players with that many since the 2021 postseason.
The others? Some of the biggest names in the game: Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid.
Eleven of those 30 goals, including his strike on Sunday, have been game-winners. That’s tied with Alexander Ovechkin, Corey Perry and Patrick Kane for the fifth-most among active skaters. He trails only teammate Brad Marchand (14), Ondrej Palat (13), Evegnii Malkin (13) and Chris Kreider (12).
“Through nine games, Carter has been our most consistent forward,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said late Sunday after his Cats tied up their Eastern Conference Semifinals series at 2-2. “Playoff hockey’s hockey. He understands that. ... It’s played at an incredibly high pace. It’s very physical.
“That’s when he plays at his best,” Maurice added. “Everything kind of falls in line. All of his reads are right. All of his physicality is right. He plays a very hard, very fast game, and he needs the game sometimes to be hard and fast in order to excel. He’s been the most consistent player through nine up front.”
That’s high praise, considering the talent the Panthers have at forward.
But it’s also hard to argue. No Panthers player seems to rise to the moment better than Verhaeghe, who had one of the Panthers’ two Game 7 goals in their Stanley Cup-clinching win against the Edmonton Oilers 11 months ago.
Verhaeghe in the weeks that followed visited his hometown of Waterdown in Ontario with the Cup in tow. It was the second time Verhaeghe returned to the Hamilton, Canada, suburb as a champion.
He wants a third victory tour this offseason, and given his latest postseason renaissance, it would be foolish to bet against him getting it.
Verhaeghe wasn’t bad during the 2024-2025 regular season. He just didn’t score with the proficiency many expected after signing a lucrative extension. He had just 20 goals despite playing in all but one game.
But something inside of him flips when the playoffs begin. His eight points this postseason are tied with seven teammates for the franchise lead.
Verhaeghe has benefited from a lineup change. After spending time with Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart on the Panthers’ top line, he’s really found his groove playing with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk on the second. Maurice said that Tkachuk’s improved fitness and elevated play in recent days has helped Verhaeghe get back on track.
Verhaeghe’s hustle play in overtime in Game 3 kept alive a possession that resulted in Brad Marchand burying Friday night’s game-winner. Now they’re all on their way back to Toronto, and a seven-game series has become a three-game series.
“I think the playoffs should bring out the best in everyone,” Verhaeghe said. “I think it’s so competitive and so everything about it is just more competitive and, yeah, it’s a lot of fun playing in it.”