Carter Verhaeghe of the Florida Panthers is pursuing a contract extension.
Verhaeghe has played with the Panthers for the last four seasons, scoring 236 points and registering 118 goals.
The world keeps turning for everyone, even though the Florida Panthers are still in high spirits after winning the Stanley Cup earlier this week.
The NHL met in Las Vegas on Thursday for a three-day event that will signal the conclusion of one season and the start of another.
The 2024 NHL Draft will take place at the Sphere on Friday and Saturday after the star-studded NHL Awards, which took center stage from the Fontainebleau in Vegas on Thursday night.
On Sunday, the Stanley Cup Championship parade by the Cats along A1A on Fort Lauderdale Beach will bring Panthers fans’ attention back to South Florida.
The NHL’s free agency will then open on Monday, July 1, at which point free agents will begin to sign new contracts.
It’s always interesting to follow this yearly feeding frenzy.
In addition, a few players who are still under contract will negotiate summertime extensions to remain with their current teams before approaching free agency.
Carter Verhaeghe of the Panthers, a forward with one year remaining on his contract, may be one of those players.
The 28-year-old, who turns 29 in August, was one of the first players signed by Panthers general manager Bill Zito in 2020, and has spent four seasons with the team.
Verhaeghe became one of the NHL’s top clutch players in 278 games while playing for the Cats, tallying 118 goals and 236 points.
Despite having just led the AHL in scoring the year before, Verhaeghe had not yet established himself at the highest level, therefore his initial contract with Florida was for two years and $2 million.
Less than a year later, Verhaeghe received another offer from Zito, the astute general manager hoping to secure the young sniper’s long-term career in Sunrise after realizing he was the genuine deal.
In the summer of 2021, with one year remaining on his initial contract, Verhaeghe inked a $12.5 million three-year agreement with an AAV (average annual value) of $4.16 million annually.
Verhaeghe signed a five-year contract with the Panthers and received a sizable salary boost within 10 months of joining on.
It appears like both sides are moving in the same direction at this point, with Verhaeghe probably going to receive another raise.
This time, the determined forward appears headed toward a six-year contract with an average annual value of $8 to $8.5 million. An agreement might be reached at any point.
With his blend of quickness, toughness, and resolve, Verhaeghe has established himself as a mainstay in the Panthers lineup, embodying the kind of hockey that Florida wishes to play.
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