Carter Verhaeghe is one of those players the Toronto Maple Leafs let get away.
He was traded before he reached his full potential. His cap hit is $4.166 million for two more seasons after this one. It is an easier contract to manage than Konecny’s from a cap standpoint. Verhaeghe has 15 goals and nine assists for 24 points in 29 games this season. He had his breakout season last year with 55 points in 78 games.
Toronto selected Verhaeghe in the third round of the 2013 NHL draft with the 82nd overall pick. Once drafted, Verhaeghe returned to Niagara Ice Dogs in the OHL for the 2013-14 season.
He recorded 28 goals and 54 assists for 82 points in 65 games that season. Toronto’s GM at the time, Dave Nonis, signed Verhaeghe to a three-year entry-level contract.
He never played a game for the Toronto Maple Leafs as he was traded to the New York Islanders in 2015 along with four other players in a contract dump for Michael Grabner.
He spent two seasons in the Islanders organization before being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2017.
His first NHL season was in 2019-20 for the Lightning, and he recorded nine goals and four assists for 13 points in 52 games.
Since then, he has gotten better each season. I think Verhaeghe would welcome a trade to the team that drafted him. He has the tools to be productive in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top six.