Verhaeghe has been out since April 10th but will play Monday vs. the Lightning. Verhaeghe, who has 17 goals and 18 assists (35 points) in 42 games, will be back on the top line with Aleksander Barkov and Anthony Duclair.
Despite practicing most of the week, Verhaeghe will not play Saturday vs. the Lightning. Head coach Joel Quenneville said that if it were Game 1 of the playoffs that Verhaeghe would be in. With their playoff seed ready locked up, there's no sense rushing Verhaeghe back.
Verhaeghe is set to miss his sixth straight game on Thursday and he's not expected to play until the Panthers' next homestand, which doesn't start until May 3rd. On Thursday, Patric Hornqvist will skate on the top line to be the latest player to replace Verhaeghe in that role.
Verhaeghe scored nine goals with four assists (13 points) in 52 games in his rookie season in the NHL in 2020. The 25-year-old is a former third-round pick (2015) and led the AHL in goals (34) and points (82) in 2018-19. He's shown offensive ability at lower-levels in the past, now it's a matter of getting opportunity in Florida to showcase he can do it at the NHL-level.
Verhaeghe played 10:22 TOI and had two shots and a minus-1 rating vs. the Sabres on Monday and will be replaced by Cory Concacher in the lineup on Wednesday.
Verhaeghe, 21, was a third round pick (No.82 overall) in 2013 but has split his last two seasons between the AHL and ECHL. Last season he had 29 points (16G / 13A) in 45 games with Bridgeport (AHL) and an impressive 32 points (12G / 20A) in just 16 games with Missouri (ECHL). Verhaeghe will likely report to the Syracuse Crunch (AHL) to start 2017-18.
