Carter Verhaeghe Secures Lucrative Eight-Year, $56 Million Contract Extension with Florida Panthers

Tuesday, October 8th, 2024

Carter Verhaeghe, who played a crucial role in the Florida Panthers' victory in the Stanley Cup, has signed an eight-year contract extension worth $56 million.

This agreement was revealed following the Panthers' ceremony to raise their championship banner. It will start in the 2025-26 season, offering an annual average value of $7 million. Sources indicate that the deal includes a signing bonus of $48 million along with some trade protection.

Bill Zito, the general manager, shared his happiness about keeping Verhaeghe, emphasizing his importance to the Panthers.

Verhaeghe has collected 236 points through 278 games since he joined Florida in 2020, scoring 118 goals. He has also made an impressive mark in the postseason, accumulating 53 points across 61 playoff games, which includes 11 goals and 10 assists during the previous season's Stanley Cup campaign.

In the playoffs, Verhaeghe has scored 10 game-winning goals, one of which was the decisive overtime goal in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins in 2023.

The deal was hinted at during the Panthers' championship ring ceremony, where team owner Vincent Viola assured Verhaeghe of his ongoing association with the team.

Although Verhaeghe didn't score in the Panthers' season-opening victory over Boston, other significant players, like Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad, will become unrestricted free agents once this season concludes.

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