While the Maple Leafs have spent the season auditioning top-six wingers, and specifically left wingers, a former Leafs prospect has clawed his way up the roster in Florida to the top line. Was the answer to the present problem there in the past all along?
The first thing to remember about Carter Verhaeghe as we investigate his amazing season is that he’s 25. NHL players hitting a surprising peak at age 25 is not unusual. Contract status has something to do with it. Early UFAs finally get out from under the expectations of the teams that had them as RFAs, and they can sign where they want and just be themselves, often at a salary that keeps them in the lineup.