Round 3 Pick 82 – Carter Verhaeghe
With the 82nd overall pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft, the Toronto maple Leafs selected centreman Carter Verhaeghe from the Niagara Ice Dogs of the OHL.
Verhaeghe was an excellent scorer, putting up 224 points in 262 career OHL games.
At the end of Verhaeghe’s third season with Niagara, the Waterdown native would appear in two games with the Marlies, tallying one assist.
The playmaking centreman would return to Niagara to play out the entire 2014-15 season as the Ice Dogs’ captain, scoring 82 points in 68 games.
A solid prospect, Verhaeghe was was looking to make an impact with the Marlies for the 2015-16 until he was abruptly dealt to the New York Islanders in a package for speedy forward Michael Grabner.
Verhaeghe would somewhat struggle with the Islanders AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound-tigers, scoring 15 points in 30 games, and was sent to the ECHL. There, Verhaeghe would improve, scoring 25 points in 20 games with the Missouri Mavericks.
In the 2016-17 season, Verhaeghe would once again split the year between Bridgeport and Missouri, scoring 32 points in 16 ECHL games and 29 points in 45 AHL games.
On July 1st 2017, Verhaeghe, who clearly wasn’t clicking in the Islanders organization, would be dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning for goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis.
Since that trade, Verhaeghe would score 130 points in 134 AHL games and would win the 2018-19 AHL scoring title.
Verhaeghe, 24, looks to compete for a bottom six spot with the Lightning next season.