Paul Maurice not rushing Carter Verhaeghe back, holding him out of Panthers first preseason games

Verhaeghe has been skating on the side, could make preseason debut next week

Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe is nearing a return to full practices.

Verhaeghe tweaked some kind of muscle injury during Florida’s first training camp practice on Thursday morning at the Ice Den in Coral Springs.

Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice downplayed the severity of Verhaeghe’s issue, stressing that there is no need to push anything and that the team has a very cautious approach with training camp injuries and ailments.

“He tightened up on the ice and I kicked him off,” Maurice said on Thursday. “We've got a very low threshold for somebody in terms of what we will ask a player to endure during training, camp especially a player like Carter.”

Verhaeghe didn’t skate the following day, but Saturday and Sunday he was on the ice working with Florida’s injured group that includes defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour and is led by Panthers Skills Coach Max Ivanov and the newly hired Patric Hornqvist.

Maurice gave an update on Verhaeghe following Sunday’s training camp practices, as the team prepares to open its exhibition schedule on Monday.

“He's feeling much better,” Maurice said of Verhaeghe. “He is going to IR skate again tomorrow, day off (Tuesday), but I think there's a chance he returns to full practice for us…we might put him in a gold non-contact sweater on Wednesday morning.”

The Panthers will hold a practice on Wednesday in Raleigh before their road preseason matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes that night.

It doesn’t sound like Verhaeghe will play that night, but he’s getting closer.

“I probably won't put him in that game, I want him to get a couple of practices in, so you would expect to see him Friday night if he stays healthy,” Maurice said.

Verhaeghe is coming off a monster year.

The 28-year-old scored 42 goals and 73 points, both career highs, while helping the Panthers reach the Stanley Cup Final.