Lightning acquire Hurricanes prospect Lucas Mercuri for draft pick

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced Sunday that the club has acquired center Lucas Mercuri from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a sixth-round selection in the upcoming NHL Draft.

Additionally, the Lightning have signed Mercuri to a two-year, entry-level contract that will begin in 2025-06. As part of the agreement, Mercuri will join the AHL affiliated Syracuse Crunch for the balance of the current campaign.

Mercuri was originally chosen by the Hurricanes in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft.

“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,” said Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis. “[Mercuri] has established himself as a two-way threat who has some decent offensive upside … Mercuri’s combination of size, skill, and two-way play should allow him to adjust to the pro ranks quite quickly next season.”

A 23-year-old Montreal native, Mercuri has spent the past four campaigns with the NCAA’s UMass Minutemen. Through 40 appearances this season, Mercuri put up 10 goals and 21 assists to finish fifth in team scoring with 31 points coupled with a plus-14 rating and 24 penalty minutes. The 2024-25 campaign then came to a close for the Minutemen on Saturday following a 2-1 playoff loss to the Western Michigan Broncos. In all, through four seasons with the Minutemen, Mercuri totaled 28 goals and 57 assists for 85 points through 148 career contests, underscored by a Hockey East championship in his freshman campaign.

Prior to committing to the Minutemen, Mercuri spent part of two seasons with the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers highlighted by the 2020-21 season where in 45 outings he notched 13 goals and 23 assists to finish third in team scoring with 36 points. In all, through 48 total appearances with the Buccaneers, Mercuri recorded 37 points.