PuckSleuth
Carter Verhaeghe23

Florida Panthers · Center · Shoots L

Carter Verhaeghe

Age 31 · 6'2" · 183 lb · Born in Toronto, CAN

Cap 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

GameGASOGHITBLKTOIPPPKFOOZS%GVTK+/-GS
Oct 1
@ SJS · OTL 4-3
0001017:142:520:00—67000+0.23
Sep 29
@ CAR · W 1-0
0110118:584:290:000-15000+1+0.91
Apr 9
@ OTT · L 5-1
0011018:152:000:001-85000-2-0.19
Apr 7
@ MTL · OTL 4-3
1031121:543:450:561-157230+1.53
Apr 5
@ PIT · L 5-2
1051022:439:201:101-2—310+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

xGF%51.5%

68th percentile

Relative xGF%+1.8

69th percentile

HDCF%47.9%

42nd percentile

CF%54.5%

88th percentile

Relative CF%+3.8

88th percentile

FF%52.2%

75th percentile

GF%49.5%

51st percentile

CF/6065.8

90th percentile

CA/6055.0

71st percentile

ixG/601.26

74th percentile

Goals above expected+2.5

82nd percentile

IPP73.1%

78th percentile

PDO99.3

44th percentile

OZS%57.8%

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.

High-volume shooterSlot threatOffensive minded
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

SeasonLeagueTeamGPGAP+/-PIM
2010-11Minor-ONHam. Jr. Bulldogs45343064—28
2011-12OHLNiagara6241216+610
2011-12 (playoffs)OHLNiagara19123+32
2012-13OHLNiagara67182644-1222
2012-13WJ18-ACanada7044+34
2012-13 (playoffs)OHLNiagara522406
2013-14OHLNiagara65285482-1960
2013-14AHLToronto2011+20
2013-14 (playoffs)OHLNiagara6224-16
2014-15OHLNiagara68334982+2138
2014-15 (playoffs)OHLNiagara116814+14
2015-16AHLBridgeport306915+36
2015-16ECHLMissouri2081725+162
2015-16 (playoffs)ECHLMissouri10291102
2016-17AHLBridgeport Islanders45161329+1220
2016-17ECHLKansas City Mavericks16122032+114
2017-18AHLSyracuse Crunch58173148+1830
2017-18 (playoffs)AHLSyracuse Crunch717800
2018-19AHLSyracuse Crunch76344882+2634
2018-19 (playoffs)AHLSyracuse Crunch4156-22
2019-20NHLTampa Bay Lightning529413-98
2019-20 (playoffs)NHLTampa Bay Lightning8022-12
2020-21NHLFlorida Panthers43181836+2431
2020-21 (playoffs)NHLFlorida Panthers6213-32
2021-22NHLFlorida Panthers78243155+2448
2021-22 (playoffs)NHLFlorida Panthers106612+74
2022-23NHLFlorida Panthers81423173+1046
2022-23 (playoffs)NHLFlorida Panthers2171017+78
2023-24NHLFlorida Panthers76343872+1736
2023-24 (playoffs)NHLFlorida Panthers24111021-520
2024-25NHLFlorida Panthers81203353-1446
2024-25 (playoffs)NHLFlorida Panthers2371623+126
2025-26NHLFlorida Panthers77253055-1432
2026-27NHLFlorida Panthers2011+10

Every league he has played in, from the NHL's records, regular season and playoffs.

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

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

202937

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

SeasonTeamCap hit% of cap
2026-27FLA$7M6.7%
2027-28FLA$7M6.2%
2028-29FLA$7M—
2029-30FLA$7M—
2030-31FLA$7M—
2031-32FLA$7M—
2032-33FLA$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).