Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov speaks after training camp practice on Sept. 21. Life is good these days for Carter Verhaeghe. The 29-year-old just had the summer of a lifetime, winning the Stanley Cup with his Florida Panthers teammates in June and tying the knot with his fiance Casey in July. He had a big smile on his face when he took the ice to the sound of cheering fans on Saturday at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale, the first open practice for Florida Panthers Training Camp. There is still another potential big milestone coming up for Verhaeghe, though. The goal-scoring winger is entering his fourth season with the Panthers and is coming off consecutive 70-point seasons in which he logged 42 and 34 goals. Verhaeghe also has a knack for finding the back of the net in the game’s biggest moments and has become known for bringing a tenacity to the game regardless of what zone he’s skating in. This season is the last on Verhaeghe’s current contract, which has paid him an average annual value (AAV) of $4.16 million over the past three years. To say he’s due a raise would be an understatement. “Nothing but trouble since the day he walked in,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice joked when asked about Verhaeghe earlier this week. Maurice had the same tongue-in-cheek assessment when asked about Sam Reinhart last season, when Reinhart was set to be a free agent. “I think Carter is as fit as he’s ever been right now,” Maurice continued. Verhaeghe, like many of his teammates, arrived to camp in amazing shape, anxious to begin their Stanley Cup title defense. He has expressed a desire to remain with the Panthers well beyond this season, and the two sides began having discussions regarding an extension during the summer. “I love playing here,” Verhaeghe said Saturday. “It’s like my home now, it feels like I've been here for a long time.” Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] The Panthers have made a priority of locking up their core players. Sasha Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Gus Forsling and Anton Lundell are all signed through the end of the decade. Verhaeghe would like to be added to that list. Whether that happens sometime soon or not until after the season remains to be seen. With Reinhart, he and the Panthers maintained from day one that both wanted to come to terms on a deal, but it wasn’t until the day before the deadline that they finally got it done. We’ll have to wait and see how things play out between Florida and Verhaeghe. “I love playing and being a Panther,” he said. “I love the guys, the organization has been nothing but first class ever since I came and yeah, it feels like home. So that's definitely the goal, to sign here.” [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5b5A4SUTek[/embed] LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA New Florida Panthers jerseys unveiled as part of Fanatics NHL rollout [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/new-florida-panthers-jerseys-unveiled-as-part-of-fanatics-nhl-rollout] The Hockey Show: Training Camp chat with NHL Insider David Pagnotta [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/the-hockey-show-training-camp-chat-with-nhl-insider-david-pagnotta] Florida Panthers first broadcast on Scripps Sports set for Friday night [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-panthers-first-broadcast-on-scripps-sports-set-for-friday-night] Panthers open first training camp in new facility with familiar drills, same goals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-open-first-training-camp-in-new-facility-with-familiar-drills-same-goals] Former Panthers in the news: Kyle Okposo, Jaromir Jagr retiring, Radko Gudas named Captain Duck [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/former-panthers-in-the-news-kyle-okposo-jaromir-jagr-retiring-radko-gudas-named-captain-duck] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
