PuckSleuth
23Cap hit
$7M
6.7% of $104M cap
Term
7 yrs
Through 2032-33, then UFA
Clause
None
Surplus value
+$533K
vs. $7.533M market estimate
Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source
2026-27 regular season
GP
2
Goals
0
0.0% shooting
Assists
1
1 primary
Points
1
0.50 per game
TOI/GP
18:06
PP 3:41 · PK 0:00
xGF%
73.5
5v5, +22 vs. last yr
Game Score
+0.57
per game
Faceoff %
—
0 W · 1 L
Plus/minus
+1
Blocks 1 · Hits 1
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1 @ SJS · OTL 4-3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17:14 | 2:52 | 0:00 | — | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0.23 |
| Sep 29 @ CAR · W 1-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18:58 | 4:29 | 0:00 | 0-1 | 50 | 0 | 0 | +1 | +0.91 |
| Apr 9 @ OTT · L 5-1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18:15 | 2:00 | 0:00 | 1-8 | 50 | 0 | 0 | -2 | -0.19 |
| Apr 7 @ MTL · OTL 4-3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 21:54 | 3:45 | 0:56 | 1-1 | 57 | 2 | 3 | 0 | +1.53 |
| Apr 5 @ PIT · L 5-2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 22:43 | 9:20 | 1:10 | 1-2 | — | 3 | 1 | 0 | +1.32 |
GS = our Game Score (credit for everything he did; goals and assists count most). FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.
Advanced metrics
5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 1,073 min · percentile vs. NHL forwards
68th percentile
69th percentile
42nd percentile
88th percentile
88th percentile
75th percentile
51st percentile
90th percentile
71st percentile
74th percentile
82nd percentile
78th percentile
44th percentile
68th percentile
xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.
Play styleSkilled offensive center
Trait percentiles vs. NHL centers · 2025-26
Verhaeghe plays a shoot-first game with excellent volume and speed, generating chances from inside the slot and mid-range. He struggles getting into dangerous positions off the rush and lacks the physical presence or defensive responsibility typical of his position.
- Shooting volume
- 87
- Playmaking
- 67
- Zone entries(est.)
- 26
- Forechecking
- 56
- Physicality
- 25
- Defensive impact
- 13
- Puck management
- 58
- Speed
- 71
Where he shoots from
Slot 41% · Mid-range 44% · Perimeter 15%(275 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- Shoots frequently from all distances, ranking 87th in volume among centers
- Generates chances from prime scoring areas, 41% of shots from the slot
- Above-average speed helps him skate into opportunities, 71st percentile
Watch-outs
- Poor defensive impact at 13th percentile limits his two-way value
- Minimal physicality, 25th percentile, makes him vulnerable in tight spaces
- Struggles creating rush chances, 26th percentile, limits transition offense
Similar style: Tage Thompson (BUF), Sam Bennett (FLA)
Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.
Where his Game Score comes from
2025-26 · 77 GP
Season total +56.6, or +0.73 per game.
- Scoring
- +43.2
- Shooting
- +14.0
- 5-on-5 goals
- -0.1
- Defense
- -0.6
- Penalty kill
- +0.1
- Physical play
- +2.5
- Puck battles
- -1.9
- Penalties
- -0.2
- Faceoffs
- -0.4
Game Score gives credit for everything a player does in a game. Goals (1.0) and assists (0.7 primary, 0.5 secondary) count most; shots, blocks, hits, takeaways, penalties drawn, faceoff wins, killing penalties, and holding down the other team's chances add to it. Only mistakes subtract: goals against at 5-on-5, giveaways, penalties taken, faceoff losses, and allowing more chances than an average player would. A player who is there to defend or kill penalties is not marked down for not scoring. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
Career stats
From the NHL's player records
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PPG | PPP | SHG | GWG | SOG | S% | TOI | FO% | GS/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 52 | 9 | 4 | 13 | -9 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 57 | 15.8 | 9:22 | 45.2 | — |
| 2020-21 | Florida Panthers | 43 | 18 | 18 | 36 | +24 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 107 | 16.8 | 17:44 | 46.9 | — |
| 2021-22 | Florida Panthers | 78 | 24 | 31 | 55 | +24 | 48 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 167 | 14.4 | 16:03 | 65.5 | — |
| 2022-23 | Florida Panthers | 81 | 42 | 31 | 73 | +10 | 46 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 275 | 15.3 | 17:30 | 48.8 | +1.06 |
| 2023-24 | Florida Panthers | 76 | 34 | 38 | 72 | +17 | 36 | 8 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 246 | 13.8 | 17:58 | 44.0 | +1.05 |
| 2024-25 | Florida Panthers | 81 | 20 | 33 | 53 | -14 | 46 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 242 | 8.3 | 17:52 | 36.4 | +0.72 |
| 2025-26 | Florida Panthers | 77 | 25 | 30 | 55 | -14 | 32 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 187 | 13.4 | 17:37 | 34.2 | +0.73 |
| 2026-27 | Florida Panthers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 18:06 | — | +0.57 |
| Career | 8 seasons | 490 | 172 | 186 | 358 | +39 | 247 | 28 | 67 | 1 | 26 | 1282 | 13.4 | 16:35 | — |
Seasons traded mid-year show one row per team. GS/GP is our Game Score per game.
Usage
Last game: @ SJS, Oct 1
Line 1 with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk (11:12 together at 5-on-5) · PP2
From the NHL's shift chart.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
- Jacob on the mark in Panthers 1-0 win over Hurricanes
litterboxcats.com · Sep 30
Sentiment & chatter
Fans
—
Beat writers
—
Media
—
Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.
Recent Game Scores
Last 10 games · goals above average
Average +0.71 per game over these 10.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2026-27, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 20.2 mph
- 32nd pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 1
- Hardest shot
- 64.1 mph
- 38th pct
- Distance
- 3.2 mi
- OZ time
- 40.1%
- 41st pct
- DZ time
- 40.1%
Age curve
NHL forwards · production index
At 31, forwards typically produce 80% of their peak (age 24). His contract runs through age 37, when the typical level is 41%.
From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.
Contract by season
7 seasons left
| Season | Team | Cap hit | % of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | FLA | $7M | 6.7% |
| 2027-28 | FLA | $7M | 6.2% |
| 2028-29 | FLA | $7M | — |
| 2029-30 | FLA | $7M | — |
| 2030-31 | FLA | $7M | — |
| 2031-32 | FLA | $7M | — |
| 2032-33 | FLA | $7M | — |
UFA after 2032-33. $49M in cap hits left. % of cap uses each season's ceiling where the league has set one ($104M this season, $113.5M in 2027-28).