The 25-year-old forward will play the final season of a two-year contract he signed Oct. 9, 2020. He could have become a restricted free agent.
"It's still kind of sinking a little bit that I've never been on a contract that long," Verhaeghe said Friday. "I bounced around different teams and everything. It's been a long road to kind of get a little bit of security, but it finally paid off. A lot of hard work and everything like that, but it's still kind of sinking in a little bit."
Verhaeghe scored 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) in 43 regular-season games with the Panthers last season and three points (two goals, one assist) in six Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The Panthers (37-14-5) finished second in the Discover Central Divison but lost in the Stanley Cup First Round to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Verhaeghe said Florida is heading in the right direction.
"This team has a lot of potential and I think last year we kind of showed everyone, put ourselves on the map," he said. "We have a lot more to give. We have the right pieces and we're all kind of at the same point of careers, trying to build and with this group we can do something special. It's really an exciting time to be part of the fan base, for sure."
Selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round (No. 82) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Verhaeghe has scored 49 points (27 goals, 22 assists) in 95 regular-season games with the Lightning and Panthers, and five points (two goals, three assists) in 14 playoff games.
He won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020.
"Carter emerged as one of the best possession forwards in hockey last season, elevating his game to fill an important role on our team," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. "His effort, speed and creativity are infectious on and off the ice."
Florida also signed defenseman Brandon Montour to a three-year contract and forward Juho Lammikko to a one-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed for either contract.
Montour scored 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 50 regular-season games with the Panthers and Buffalo Sabres last season, including four points (two goals, two assists) in 12 games after he was traded to Florida on April 10. The 27-year-old did not have a point in six playoff games.
"After joining the Panthers [prior to the NHL Trade Deadline] this past season, Brandon impressed us with his character, skill set, tenacity and passion," Zito said. "We are excited to have him return to the Panthers as an important element of our defensive core."
Selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round (No. 55) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Montour has scored 109 points (31 goals, 78 assists) in 293 regular-season games with the Panthers, Sabres and Ducks, and has eight assists in 27 playoff games.
Lammikko scored five points (four goals, one assist) in 44 regular-season games with Florida last season. A third-round pick (No. 65) in the 2014 draft, the 25-year-old has scored 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 84 regular-season games with the Panthers.
NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers contributed to this report
