Henderson told AFL.com.au on Thursday he was very happy to finalise his contract negotiations with Carlton and positive about what the future holds for the Blues.
"It's really exciting because I think we've shown this year that we're not far away from challenging the best teams in the competition," Henderson said.
"We've really matched it with most teams this year; it's just been lapses here and there that have cost us.
"If we can find that consistency in our play we can really start to turn things around quickly."
Henderson was due to come out of contract at the end of 2013 and would have been hotly pursued by the host of clubs looking for a key-position defender or forward.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed an excellent 2013 season, starring at both ends of the ground to the extent he is now being compared with elite swingmen such as Geelong's Harry Taylor, Essendon's Jake Carlisle and Collingwood's Ben Reid.
Carlton football manager Andrew McKay told AFL.com.au the Blues valued Henderson "enormously", knowing how hard versatile talls are to come by.
McKay said Henderson was already extremely important to Carlton's on-field structure but had scope to improve as a player and leader.
"Lachie is improving year on year. It will be a good test for him to see just how good he can become," McKay said.
"It's a bit like a golf handicap: the better you get the harder it is to improve.
"But players tend to improve up until 27-28, they don't improve a lot after that, so at 23 Lachie still has scope to continue developing.
"He's also part of our emerging leaders group so we will be looking for him to step up in that area as well."
Like Taylor, Carlisle and Reid, Henderson has played primarily in defence this season alongside fellow tall Michael Jamison.
He has been thrown forward at times mid-match this season, most effectively when he kicked three final-quarter goals to almost spark a comeback win over St Kilda in round seven.
But in the absence of injured spearhead Jarrad Waite, Henderson started in attack against the Saints last Saturday night and produced one of the best performances of his 75-game career.
Henderson kicked a career-high four goals in the Blues' 36-point win over the Saints and took 12 marks, seven of which were contested – the equal highest tally in the AFL this year alongside Waite's effort against the Brisbane Lions in round nine.
Not surprisingly, Henderson enjoyed his time in attack against the Saints, but says he is not bothered where he plays.
"It's the old cliché, I'm happy to play wherever the team needs me," Henderson says.
"I played as a forward most of my junior career, but I'm comfortable at either end of the ground."
Henderson joined the Blues from the Brisbane Lions at the end of 2009 as part of the Brendan Fevola trade, which also sent pick No.12 (Kane Lucas) to Carlton and pick No.27 to the Lions (Callum Bartlett).
Henderson played 15 games and kicked three goals for the Lions after being selected as the No. 8 pick in the 2007 NAB AFL Draft.
In four seasons with the Blues, he has played 60 games and kicked 42 goals.
