Lucas Mercuri will not sign with Hurricanes after finishing NCAA career

Sources have told Daily Faceoff that UMass college standout Lucas Mercuri has notified the Carolina Hurricanes that he will not sign with the club this off-season.

The Hurricanes have offered Mercuri to teams in exchange for a draft pick. They can trade his rights before August 15, 2025, but he will become a UFA if not signed by then.

The 6-foot-3 forward has 10 goals and 31 points in 38 games this season, his fourth at UMass. It’s the highest output of his college career, which started out in style after taking home the Hockey East title in 2021-22. Mercuri had a breakout season last year with nine goals and 25 points while not backing down from a physical challenge.

Off the scoreboard, Mercuri is a big forward and isn’t afraid to mix things up. He’s good around the net, often taking space away from goaltenders. The Montreal, Quebec native has established himself as a two-way threat who has some decent offensive upside. His skating has improved in recent years since going in the sixth round to the Hurricanes in 2020, something that could help him adapt better to the NHL.

Mercuri’s combination of size, skill and two-way play should allow him to adjust to the pro ranks quite quickly next season. The former Des Moines Buccaneers forward was a bit of a late-bloomer but one that kept showing steady improvement year-to-year.

It’s not completely unheard of that a notable college player was traded before signing their first NHL career. One notable example was Adam Fox, who wouldn’t sign with the Calgary Flames and was traded to the Hurricanes. From there, he didn’t sign with the Hurricanes, either, before eventually landing with the New York Rangers.

The UMass Minutemen are currently awaiting their first-round NCAA tournament opponent after losing in the Hockey East quarterfinals last weekend.

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