He’s earned the nicknames for a reason.
Whether you call him “Swaggy” or “Mr. Clutch,” Carter Verhaeghe had fans shouting his name throughout another successful season of big moments with the Florida Panthers.
Starting the year off with a bang, the veteran sniper inked an eight-year extension on the night of the Home Opener against the Boston Bruins on Oct.8, a 6-4 win for the Panthers.
“I know I’ve said it a few times already, but everything about this place and this team is just so special,” Verhaeghe wrote after his extension. “To know I’m going to be here for a long time, I couldn’t have dreamed for a better organization to be a part of or a better group of guys to play with.”
Ranking fourth on the team in goals (20), assists (33) and points (53), Verhaeghe recorded his fourth straight season of at least 20 goals, 30 assists and 50 points.
Able to apply pressure with and without the puck, he tied Sam Bennett with a team-leading 241 shots on goal and threw a career-high 95 hits.
To no surprise, Mr. Clutch also ranked tied for the team lead in game-winning goals (5).
“This guy's a Florida Panther,” President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito said of Verhaeghe. “I think he defines what we just went through. All the superlatives we use to describe ourselves as a team, Carter lives them every day."
Registering six points in the final five games of the season, Verhaeghe earned his 300th career point against the Buffalo Sabres on April 12.
Going hand in hand with playoff hockey, Verhaeghe continued to show why he’s one of the league’s best when it matters most.
Topping the charts during Florida’s run to a second straight Stanley Cup, Verhaeghe, now a three-time champion, tied for team lead in points (23) with Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk, while also ranking tied for first in assists (16) with Aleksander Barkov in the playoffs.
When the heart rate of the arena goes up, it seems that Verhaeghe’s gets calmer.
With three game-winning goals, the man they call “Swaggy” ranked tied for first with Brad Marchand on the Panthers in game-winners during the postseason.
“He’s not allowed to come off the ice in overtime,” head coach Paul Maurice said with a smile when asked about Verhaeghe stepping up in big situations. “It’s just a rule.”
A career-best postseason for Verhaeghe, the winger reached highs in assists, points, plus/minus rating (+12) and hits (59).
COOL STAT
Game-winners?
13 in the last four years.
Series-clinchers?
Three in the same time frame.
With his game-winning goal in a 5-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final on May 28, Verhaeghe netted the third series-clinching goal of his career, placing him behind only Max Pacioretty and Artturi Lehkonen (four each) for the most among all active players.
“Clutch gene,” teammate Evan Rodrigues said. “Big goals at big times, it's kind of who he is. He can be quieter for a game and all it takes is one shot for him. He had a couple of great looks on the power play, a handful of minutes before that and then gets a great look, great play by Barky (Barkov). It seems like in those moments he always kind of finds a way to put it in the back of the net.”
