Carter Verhaeghe's hat trick lifts Florida over Seattle 8-3

Fantasy hockey: Verhaeghe scored three goals on five shots in 17:05, a spike over his recent averages that stands alone rather than reflecting a trend.

By Fantasy Roundup Staff · October 18, 2026 · Updated October 18, 2026

Carter Verhaeghe scored three goals on five shots in 17:05 as Florida defeated Seattle 8-3 on Saturday, October 17. He added one hit and finished plus-1 with one power-play goal.

The hat trick represents a spike well above his recent averages of 0.26 goals and 2.7 shots per game. His underlying play grades 77 out of 100 among forwards in shots, scoring chances and ice time, a measure of how sustainable his scoring is.

Fantasy impact

Player by player

Carter Verhaeghe

Verhaeghe's three goals came without more shots or minutes than usual, which matters for assessing the performance. His five shots sit near his 2.7 per game average, and his 17:05 of ice time falls just below his 17:34 per night mark. The hat trick is a spike in finishing rather than opportunity, which means treating it as one game rather than a signal of changing usage or form.

He averages 0.66 points per game with 0.18 power-play points per game across 213 games in the model sample. His 2:32 of power-play time per game ranks sixth among all Panthers skaters. Florida plays three more times this week on Saturday, Wednesday and Thursday, giving him opportunities to add value at his normal rate.

What to do

• Keep Verhaeghe rostered and start him in his three remaining games this week.

• Do not expect another three-goal night, as his underlying play and ice time remain steady.

• Use him as a middle-tier scorer who contributes modest power-play production on the second unit.

Schedule this week